#laliana and F!Mahariel

[beesloosewithcanon]

Fictober2019

Thank you, @natsora for the prompt submission! 

If you’re interested in seeing a writing drabble from me for a specific f/f pairing, look at this post and let me know which you’d like to see! (I currently write in Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Avatar Legend of Korra; I’d be open to also delve into the following fandoms – Avatar the Last Airbender, Overwatch, Stardew Valley, to name a few).

Prompt #18 – “Secrets? I love secrets.” 

Fanfiction – Dragon Age: Inquisition

Pairing – Leliana and F!Inquisitor

So - I took a little bit of liberty with this prompt and changed it to Leliana and a gender-neutral Inquisitor. Enjoy!

***

“Oh! Secrets?” Ravune sat excitedly in the chair across from Leliana’s desk and scooted it forward animatedly before placing eager elbows on the wood and placing their hands on either side of their face. “I love secrets!”

Leliana suppressed her own smile. The dalish Inquisitor that sat before her was like no other elf she’d ever worked with, but Lyna Mahariel, the gray warden she’d fallen in love with almost ten years ago now, had told her about dalish elves like Ravune. They were often seen as spiritual guides among their people, as they themselves existed in a state of being devoid of a specific gender, or encompassing of all genders at once. The warden had tried to explain that the dalish believed that there were more than two genders, but Lyna would always get distracted before she could finish explaining things, either by Leliana’s wandering hands and lips or encroaching danger. But she was always careful to include that all dalish clans were different. Where most dalish held these Tan Elgar’dar, or those of three or more spirits, in high regard, other clans shunned them and exiled them. 

Ravune had many qualities of this, Leilana had noticed. Their lithe body yielded no indication of their gender, nor did the clothing they chose to dawn each morning or the way they pulled their long hair back in a traditional braid each morning. And the inquisitor was the only person that Solas seemed to respect, but the respect seemed to go far beyond the simple fact that Ravune was also a mage. Solas was more patient with them and often would listen instead of lecture. Solas acted like this only with Ravune; all other members of the inquisition he was uninterested in and normally spoke over or actively dismissed. 

She would be lying to herself to try and say that being around Ravune didn’t make her miss Lyna terribly. Not because the young elf reminded her of her love, no. But because they reminded her of what she was missing out on as the two remained parted. Though they still kept in contact, watching the young Inquisitor who was barely an adult by both elven and human standards made Leliana wonder what her life would have been like had Lyna not had to worry about the calling. Would they have adopted a child? And would that child have acted like Ravune, always bubbly and mischievous, and only sad or quiet when they thought they were utterly alone? 

Leliana knew her job was to coordinate her agents and keep the information continuously flowing to the inquisition and the Inquisitor, but she had started making a habit of checking up on Ravune when they were unaware. Watching from a distance or from the shadows. Something about Ravune’s demeanor made her matronly instincts kick in. In her last letter to Lyna, she’d relayed how working with the young elf made her feel and she was eager to hear how Lyna would take it. They had talked of children before. Maker knew there were plenty of orphaned children in need of a home. But Thedas always seemed to have more pressing plans for them to attend to first. 

Leliana brought her leg up and sat on the desk, playfully looking down as Ravune’s eyes stayed on her like an excited nug pup. 

“I have it on good authority that it is Cole who is doing all of those odd things you mentioned to me last week.”

“Oh,” Ravune said, laughter in their tone. “I already knew that! That’s not much of a secret!”

“What? How did you find out before me?”

“Well, I asked Cole, didn’t I?” Ravune grinned. “It clicked when I heard the cook talk about seeing it and then not remembering it. It sounded like how Cole interacts with those he helps so I asked him.”

Leliana frowned. “And he told you?”

“He did!” Ravune sat back in the chair and placed either of their hands behind their head. “Cole’s good people. He and I get along great. And he’s just trying to help.”

“I take it you didn’t tell him to stop?”

“Why would I? He’s not hurting anyone. He’s making people laugh.” Ravune looked out the small window of Leliana’s study. “It’s something we all need now and again.”

Leliana’s frown deepened before she followed Ravune’s gaze. On the ledge of the small window perched some of her personal ravens who were using the stone of the window frame to crack nuts open. Ravune watched them with an intensity that didn’t match their previous demeanor and she turned back to look at them. 

“I suppose you’re right, Inquisitor.” Surveying the young elf’s face, Leliana saw it - the flash of something that wasn’t the boisterous facade that Ravune often exuded. Their eyes were distant and their smile had fallen. 

They have the weight of an entire world on their shoulders with the threat of Corypheus, Leliana reminded herself. Fun is something they need more of. 

“Well,” she cleared her throat. “If that isn’t a good enough secret, I have plenty of others.”

Ravune’s attention snapped back to Leliana’s, the mischevious grin back on their face. “Oh? Do tell!” 

Leliana let herself smile. Despite being the chosen of Andraste, this young elf - no… this young child needed to have fun every now an again. And she had just the story about Josephine and her own nugs that would have them in a fit of giggles. She’d be sure to apologize to Josie later. But for now, Ravune’s rapt attention needed to be satiated.