Gold

The little gold ring sits right on top of the old iron one.

The old golden ring that the new golden ring replaced now hangs from Faelyn Tabris' ear, catching the sun on occasion through her hair.

It's funny how despite the new jewelry, she feels lighter, not weighed down by the little pieces of metal. The iron ring used to weigh a lot more, but the little gold one on top of it lets it rest lightly on her finger. The iron has been there over ten years now. Maybe she'd just gotten used to its weight.

She watched the woman that gave her the little golden rings work at her desk, her pretty red and white headscarf slipping a little and showing off more of her beautiful ginger and silver hair. The scratching of her quill on parchment accompanied the slow burning of the log in the bedroom's fireplace. A mabari sat curled up on the couch beside her, grey-speckled face in Faelyn's lap as he slept peacefully.

"Don't you have paperwork you're supposed to be busy with, dear?"

Faelyn laughed. "Maybe," she said coyly. "But Pup is asleep... I couldn't possibly wake him for paperwork, Birdie."

Leliana stood and made her way over to the small sofa, squeezing in between Faelyn and the armrest. Well, to a lot of people, her name wasn't Leliana, but Victoria instead. Some fancy Chantry thing. It was Victoria who overturned the silly old rules that said people like Leliana and Faelyn couldn't marry each other. Faelyn leaned against Leliana's side, breathing in her scent—parchment and ash and incense.

She felt a hand on hers, fingers gently touching the two rings on her finger. The gold one had a twin on Leliana's hand.

"It feels like only yesterday that I gave this to you," Leliana said, her eyes still the bright blue that they were when they first met.

"Well, it has only been two years," Faelyn said, smiling as she nuzzled her nose against Leliana's neck, headscarf slipping off onto her back.

"Ah, but isn't it so clear in your head?" Leliana laughed softly, taking Faelyn's small hand in hers. "The Divine, officiating her own wedding! To an elven woman, no less." She kissed the ring on Faelyn's finger. "Nothing has ever made me happier," she said, looking into Faelyn's eyes.

"Me neither, Birdie," Faelyn said back, leaning in to press a short kiss to Leliana's lips. "I-" She was cut off by a large mabari snout pushing its way between them, insistent that he, too, share in the kisses being exchanged. "Puppy!" She laughed, gently pushing him away from her face as it was covered in drool. "Oh, bad dog!" The mabari only gave a canine grin, knowing that Faelyn never had the heart to actually push him away.

Leliana pretended to gag, turning up her nose. "The nugs never do this," she said, trying not to smile and failing. "All they do is nuzzle." Pup just rolled onto his back over the both of them. It was obvious they weren't getting up for a while.

Sure, after a while her legs did go numb, but it was all well worth it. Leliana's gentle breathing, her scent of parchment and ash and incense, her warm body—it all came together to make her feel right at home. She fell asleep to the quiet sounds of the fireplace and Leliana's gentle touch on the little gold ring she treasured so much.