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Chapter 12: Twenty-Seven

Leliana's house was actually an old hotel building that had been renovated into these Orlesian style penthouses that towered over the center of downtown.

It somehow managed to pull off looking cozy and quaint while simultaneously looking intimidatingly exclusive.

Ellana figured it was probably the fancy looking doorman and the hand painted wallpaper.

She had met the woman through Cassandra of course, and had been over several times after. They had all gone shopping together, and it had been their teamwork that had found Cassandra's new house when she decided to move.

As she waited for the elevator to reach the top floor, Ellana realized she didn't actually know much about Leliana's personal life.

The woman loved clothes, cooking , old vinyls and (for some reason) any new and expensive technology. She was friendly and funny, with a repertoire of embarrassing stories about everyone. But Ellana didn't actually know where she was from. Or what she did.

Well, she knew the woman knitted patterns for a blog and sold some of her crocheted hats and pillowcases, but she didn't think that paid the bills on a penthouse.

Did it?

The elevator dinged, and Ellana found the front door open too.

"I'm here!" She called past all the white and floral furniture.

There was some light music coming from the kitchen, and she followed it to find not just Cassandra and Leliana but two others as well.

The first she recognized as the woman from the night before that Varric had introduced. Aveline. The other was most definitely Isabela.

The Isabela.

Krem would flip.

"I thought it was unrealistic." Cassandra spoke, sitting at the kitchen bar.

"No! It was good!" Isabela protested, perched on the counter where Leliana was arranging a meal of some sort.

"It was an exaggeration." Aveline agreed, sitting beside Cassandra. "Hawke didn't kill three guards on the first day. It was one. And it was an accident."

Isabela laughed loudly. "Oh but it was much more exciting that way. And Hawke is delicious on screen."

"You two ham up every second you get on that show." Aveline glared. "I pity all the actors who have to work with you two amateurs."

"Don't be sore just because you didn't get cast, big girl."

Strong red eyebrows formed an angry straight line. "They asked me. They asked all of us. You two were the only ones egotistical enough to play yourselves."

"Hey." Ellana interrupted, smiling with a small wave.

"Ellana!" Leliana piped, abandoning the counters to round the kitchen and come in for a hug. "So good to see you. I'm sorry I didn't catch you last night."

"It's alright, it was really busy."

"It wouldn't have hurt you to have come at the right time." Cassandra drawled behind them.

"She said she was busy with her Keeper, isn't that right?" Leliana smiled, releasing her and gesturing for a free chair near the table.

"Yes, sorry—she called early and I had to rush to the post office."

"How was the meeting at the Embassy?"

"Wait a minute, everyone stop." Isabela interrupted, hands dropping to slide herself off to the floor. "No one is going to introduce me to the gorgeous girl who just walked in?"