Hearts for Tomorrow

Chapter One

At the age of thirty-seven, Dorian of House Pavus could now say that the worst day of his life was his wedding day.

To be fair, it was a grand and opulent occasion wrapped in a mixture of Tevinter fashion and Qunari militant organization. The Imperial Chantry was as terrifying as it was beautiful, made up of tall, sharp lines in the shape of pillars around the main steeple and constructed from heavy brick etched with thousands of protective wards. The windows were tall, many patterned with stained glass to outline important figures or events of Tevinter history sanctioned by the Chantry.

The interior was no less dramatic with hundreds of ever-burning floating candles and elegant chandeliers that cast a golden glow over what would otherwise be a dark setting. The long pews stretching horizontally across the main hall leading up to the dais were carved of rich cherry-wood and inlaid with obsidian and gold, matching the carpet down the main aisle. That day the end of each pew was fitted with a bouquet of black lotus, embrium, and dragon thorn, their blooms each sealed in perfect display by magic.

Behind the dais were two massive flags, and beneath each one were three smaller flags. To the left, the crest of the Qunari Heraldry, and to the right, the symbol of the Imperial Chantry to represent Tevinter and her interests. The flag that lay between them was yet blank, and represented the hopeful future that would arise from the damned union laid before them. A union that would strip Dorian of his freedom and rights, and damned him to a future of solitude as some Qunari's chained up mage.

One might make the mistake of thinking the event to be a happy one if they chose to ignore the Qunari and Tevinter guards stationed at every single door and window. It was all in the sake of keeping the 'bride and groom' from fleeing the scene. Dorian couldn't afford to get cold feet when there was absolutely nothing he could do about it short of blowing the entire Chantry up, and even then the runes within the building and the collars on the man's wrists kept him from doing just that. They didn't strip him of his magic entirely, but it curbed it just enough that he would be unable to do anything about his situation.

He was being married off in a peace treaty to the Qun in order to put a halt to the war in Seheron. Despite the gritted teeth on both sides, Seheron would be shared as a place of peace before the whole island became uninhabitable from war and bloodshed. They would turn their focus on ridding the island of the Tal-Vashoth, and rebuilding. Dorian figured that at least his freedom would be going towards some form of a good purpose, if both sides held to their deal, and supposedly they would, provided Dorian and his new spouse were able to maintain their marriage.

And provided Dorian was pregnant within a year.

He shuddered mentally and physically at the knowledge. His body still ached from the ritual, and he suspected that it always would. It was unnatural after all. He would be lucky if a child didn't kill him...

"You're doing it again," came a soft voice from behind the man, pulling him from his woolgathering and back to the room he stood in. A tiny space with everything he would need, however the door was firmly locked and there was not a single window to be had. He would have been alone, were it not for Felix who stood behind him, his face concerned.

It was his only solace that day, his only friend to keep him from doing something drastic. The man smiled into his vanity mirror at his friend before closing his eyes, "Thinking?"

"Sadly," said Felix as he rested a hand on Dorian's shoulder, "At least you look handsome."

Dorian forced a smile, "Are you kidding? I'm always handsome." He lifted his chin and examined himself in the mirror. His cinnamon skin was flawless as ever, his hair gelled to perfection, his eyes lined with kohl, and his nails painted a beautiful shade of onyx. It might have been his wedding day, but he chose to dress in black – he was mourning the loss of his future after all.