Chapter Text
A month went by.
And all Ellana could think about was dragging her wounded body back to Skyhold. Dangerous missions and week long trips on horseback were hardly her idea of fun; she wanted to curl up in her bed with comfortable clothes and a pile of books. She also longed for a particular pair of lips to kiss it all better.
That was uncharted territory, worse than coming to Ferelden with just a map and half-hearted wishes of good luck. Her Keeper didn’t exactly expect her to make it, but to come back with her tail between her legs, a touch less stubborn and arrogant. Well, if anything, it just got worse.
Likewise, there were other limits to be pushed. Never in her life had she openly confessed to a man that she found him handsome, but there was something special about Krem. Perhaps it was his boyish easygoingness or his honesty about his past and shortcomings – at the risk of sounding extremely selfish and being scoffed.
Or perhaps even his care in noticing that Ellana was, in fact, Dalish, and was far away from her clan. No one cared to ask her about… Her. Ellana, the First of her Clan, not the Inquisitor, Herald of Andraste. Ironically, he called her “your Worship” at all times, but she liked the sound of that coming from him.
Needless to say, she was eager to return and see Krem again, albeit unsure of how to proceed…
No matter. When Ellana finally arrived, it was around mid-day and the new Inquisition recruits were sparring in the courtyard. Krem was there, absolutely covered in sweat and wearing light cotton clothes, charging with his maul against a recruit who tried to defend himself against the blows and stand his ground.
Ellana was supposed to go straight to the War Room and discuss the results of her expedition to the Exalted Plains with her advisors, but instead excused herself and gravitated towards the group of recruits. If Solas, Dorian and Cassandra knew anything, they didn’t say a word.
Knight-Captain Rylen was the first to notice her presence and stopped sparring with a recruit to greet her with a nod and a curt “Inquisitor.” Krem was second, laying his maul down like it weighed nothing – though the sleeveless shirt let it show how much work his muscles were doing – and approaching the two of them wiping the sweat of his palms in his pants.
“Your Worship.”
“Knight-Captain, do you mind if I steal the Lieutenant for a couple of moments? It will be quick.”
The Knight-Captain raised an eyebrow but said: “Of course, Inquisitor. I don’t want him breaking my recruit’s arms.”
Ellana walked away and Krem followed her, keeping his distance.
“So, how were things in the Approach?” he asked.
“Sandy.” she replied with a shrug, picking up the courage to say what she came to say. “Lots of Venatori in there. I have to head to this meeting right now, but I was hoping we could catch up later? It’s been a month.”
That got a suggestive smirk out of Krem.
“Plenty to catch up, your Worship.”
“But…” A long pause and a deep breath. “Perhaps in another place? Such as…”
The words escaped Ellana, but Krem helped her out: “Am I being invited to your room?”
“Well, maybe. If you want to. The Herald’s Rest is fine, too.”
She knew fairly well the implications of inviting a man to her room, and the thought of it made her insides stir. Ellana wasn’t sure if she was anxious or hopeful, or both. She didn’t quite get to touch him with all the steel and the leather in between them, and being so close to his naked – albeit sweaty – skin was… Something else.
“Hardly a difficult choice to make.” Krem replied in a mutter, eyes glued to Ellana in a way that made her blush. “But we don’t have to do anything, just so you know. I understand if you don’t feel ready.”
Ellana looked at her feet, then. She was twenty. Other elven by twenty already had children and she barely had her first kiss.
“I’m an idiot, aren’t I…?”
“We have that in common. Don’t worry, it’s always a pleasure to be with you.”
She swallowed hard and raised her head. Pushing limits, uncharted territory, all of that. Ellana wanted to shy away, and yet she didn’t.
“Tonight, then?”
Krem leaned forward and stole a quick, discreet kiss.
“I’d charge extra for that if you weren’t so gorgeous, your Worship.”
Ellana snorted a laugh and went to her meeting, grinning and blushing her entire way there. Once it was over, she crawled back to her room for a bath and a very long nap, so long she didn’t even wake up in time to be nervous for her impending encounter with her favorite Tevinter mercenary: the knocks on the door woke her up.
The night was clear, however, and the moonlight submerged the room in silver gleam. Ellana used her magic to cast a source of fire above her palm and climbed down the steps to the door, opening it up in a sudden jerk.
“Hello.” said Krem, in common clothes that suited him rather well. “Did I… Wake you up? Should I drop by tomorrow?”
“I was sleeping, yes, but come on in anyhow. I… I was just so tired.” Ellana mumbled as she led Krem up the steps and to the balcony overseeing a good portion of Skyhold. The cold wind cut through her old sleeping tunic but she put out the fire and leaned on the railing, back turned to the landscape. “All I feel like doing is shutting myself away.” She went on in a sleepy confession, and pulled him close.
Something stiff sticking to his right thigh didn’t go unnoticed and Ellana stopped on her tracks. Krem took a step back, releasing himself from her grasp.
“It’s not a sock, if that’s what you are wondering.” he explained. “It’s… Ah… Look, you don’t really go up men and ask how their cocks are like, right? So my cock is between me and the people I sleep with. Like I said, I’ll go as far as you are comfortable with tonight, and if it’s making you uncomfortable I can deal with it so it doesn’t bother you.”
“I-I just…” Ellana stammered, her breathing becoming difficult. “I was expecting…”
“Something else. I know. People expect to have sex with a woman, well, that is not how it goes. I am a man. I fuck like one.” He sounded more and more hurt, each word spoken. “If you are into women, and that’s why you called me here tonight, you are dead wrong and I’m leaving now.”
“By the Old Gods, that’s not even close to what I think. I… Krem, I never had sex. I was just trying to guess the best I could because it isn’t like my Keeper had the obligation to sit me down and talk about how babies are made. I have healer training but I never got into the actual specifics. I’m with my guard down, here. I would have been surprised in any way you decided to have sex with me.”
There was a pause, both of them staring at a distance.
“That… Makes sense. Sorry. I’m just so used to people prodding and poking about me and how I go on about things that I snapped. You don’t really have a single clue?”
Ellana shook her head negatively, studying his face, now turned to her with curious eyes.
“I’d love to give it a try with you, though. If I didn’t just kill your mood.”
He snorted and smiled a little, getting closer and grasping the railings, each hand at one of Ellana’s sides: “How come you are a virgin if you are so upfront about this kind of thing?”
“I wasn’t, before nearly dying more times I can count, that is.” Her eyes found the outline of Krem’s erection that she wouldn’t have noticed unless she knew beforehand it was there. “Do you mind if I… Touch it? I want to know how it feels.”
“I certainly won’t. Go ahead.”
Ellana’s fingers hesitantly reached for Krem’s thigh, fingertips tracing his hard length through his pants. Her heart sped up big time; the touch felt so intimate. How would it feel like to be touched by him that way?
Krem had his shoulders tense and his lips pursed, but relaxed as Ellana cupped his face and tip toed for a kiss. The stiffness against her lower stomach didn’t feel bad at all, and yes, she was nervous, but under the moonlight nothing felt quite as right as kissing Krem’s mouth...
Their legs entwined and his thigh pressed lightly against Ellana’s sex. Only in a sleepy haze she would answer the door with no smallclothes to speak of. She was glad when Krem started leading her back inside, or else the Skyhold would see quite the show.
Once inside, he gently placed her on the bed and took off her tunic, laying on top of her and kissing her collarbone. Ellana, with her eyes closed, arched against his body, stifling a moan, begging for more.
“Wait, already?” Krem joked, pulling away and standing up. “We haven’t even started!”
Ellana propped her upper body up with her elbows.
“Well, feel free to start anytime.”
“In a bit. You’ll see.”
She had no idea taking off boots took so long, but eventually Krem was done with it and threw his shirt across the room. In his leather undershirt and pants, he climbed on top of Ellana and grinded against her, kissing her neck and offering his fingertips for her to suck on. She closed her eyes again, letting herself be drowned by the pleasure between her legs and the warmth coming from Krem’s body.
Then he started making a trail of kisses down her chest, and her stomach, and her pubes, then he spread her legs further apart and kissed a different set of lips.
Ellana gasped in surprise.
“Oh. I think I see now.”
Krem lifted his head just enough to say: “Not even close, your Worship.”