Dragon Knight-Commander (A Cullen Rutherford Shapeshifter Romance)

Chapter 10

Cullen didn't come back that day, or the next. I was filled with nervous energy. I packed and repacked the bag I was going to take. I spoke to the kitchens about provisions. I studied the maps of Thedas and Eden. I spent a little time with each of the friends I'd grown close to, to say my goodbyes without actually saying them. I started to get excited. I allowed myself a little more time to think about home. I didn't allow myself any time to think about Cullen.

I came back from lunch to find a leather trunk outside my room. I dragged it inside, opened it and my heart fluttered with excitement. Dresses. And shoes. Pretty dresses. They were in fairy book colours of pastel yellow, pale blue and scarlet red. They were cut in a fairy book shape. This moment, this part of my entire Thedas experience was much, much more my cup of tea. Take your excitement and adventure, killing and war. Leave me the castle and the princess dresses, throw in a handsome prince, or a hunky...

I refused to think about him and pulled on the yellow one. I unbraided my hair. I looked in the mirror. If I stepped outside the door in this dress no one would recognise me. I looked - good. The boning pulled in my waist and pushed out my breasts in a way that was a little slutty, but hey, that was the fashion, right? I sat and brushed out my hair. The kinks from the plaits looked like something a barbie would dream about.

I allowed myself to think of home. Friday nights out with the girls in Davinchi's, the local night club, involved a lot of preening and drinking around each other's houses before venturing out. It was the most fun part of the evening. Buying a new mini-skirt, giving it its first outing, choosing which nail colour to wear. I used to live for Friday nights. I shook out the long skirt and swung it around. Could I fit any of them in my backpack? I sighed. Would I ever get to wear them?

The people here tended to wash up for dinner, put on something smart/casual unless there was visiting nobility when we all wore military jackets. There were some girls here who wore nice dresses in the evening. Sod them all. Tonight could be one of my last nights at Skyhold. If I could face down demons I would survive a few whispered comments. Besides, it would be a way to say thank you to Josephine as I presumed she was the one to organise the gift. A bribe to stay. She was a clever diplomat, that's for sure.

When the bell rang for dinner I was ready. The yellow dress was the least revealing.  The shoes were all a little big but they had straps across and I didn't have to walk far.

When I entered the great hall the chattering and laughing suddenly stopped. All eyes fixed on me. I pivoted about to take flight back to my room when Maxwell jogged across to me and gave me his arm.

I smiled heroically and said under my breath, 'I am a girl, you know. There are places in Thedas where it's normal for girls to wear dresses.'

'Maker's blood, Cat, you make a beautiful woman,' he said walking with me back to his bench. 

The conversations resumed around us as everyone returned to their meals but Varric, Cassandra and Dorian remained speechless at my table.

'It's a dress, guys. What's the big deal?' I said.

'It's not the dress, love, it's this hair,' said Maxwell. Come to think of it, the women here didn't tend to have long hair, of if they did they braided it up out of the way.

I touched it self-consciously. 'Oh.'

'I have never seen such beautiful hair,' Maxwell said in my ear. I blushed at his compliment and looked at the others to see if they'd heard. They had.

Josephine joined us at the end of the table. 'My Lady you look beautiful. I trust they are all the right size? You like them?'

'Yes, thank you so much Josephine. It's such a wonderful surprise.'