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The haunted darkness swept over the Inquisitor as he lay huddled in his bed, silent and staring. Skyhold was cold and unwelcoming compared to Haven. It was a fortress out of the medieval times. It was the safe spot for many- the mages, the Grey Wardens. It was a pilgrimage. It was being built up from the rubbled state the Inquisition found it in. There were tents for the soldiers, and warm dwellings for his advisers and inner circle. It was a peaceful residence, even though it was not as warm as the simple town of Haven.
As others slept, Marquis Trevelyan was awake. It was hard for the mage to sleep, worrying about the looming threat of Corypheus and his demons. Marquis crawled out of bed, quietly and quickly changing into his day clothes. Dawn had yet to break, and he would be damned if he would not take this time for himself. He crept down the stairs leading out of his quarters, fingers tracing the cold stone walls. Opening the door with quiet ease, he snuck into the main hall. The moon glared at him through the stained glass window, illuminating the hall in a large assortment of colors.
His silent footsteps led him to the staircase leading up to the upper floor. He had travelled this route many times before, almost always stopping to talk to one of the fellow mages, Dorian Pavus. The man was found beating demons with a stick, and he helped Marquis get back to the present timeline after the brief scuffle. Since then, Marquis went out of his way to talk to the necromancer. Dorian would accompany Cassandra, Varric, and him on the adventures that took the group all throughout the far reaches of Thaddeus.
Nights would be spent by the campfire, laughing and telling stories for hours until the group had to retire to bed. On clear nights, the group would stay up watching the sky and wildlife move about. Quiet fears were exchanged between Cassandra and Varric, apologies about former hostilities. Dorian and Marquis would stay up the latest, talking late into the night. The Inquisitor would match Dorian’s bravado, and they would try to break the hard earned barriers down before their slumbers.
On this night, however, Dorian was not here. He was sleeping in his quarters like every normal person, probably. Marquis gave a small sigh of relief- he was always so nervous around the other mage and he did not want to encounter the mage on a sleepy mind. He scanned the bookshelves, finding nothing of interest in the shelves. A thick, leatherbound book caught his eye, however, sitting open on the windowsill. Nestling himself in the plush seat, he lightly grasped the book.
“Tevinter history? How interesting.” He murmured to himself, grabbing the lantern and lighting it to a low setting. Setting it on the stone windowsill, he flipped open to the beginning and began to read…
“You know, it’s quite rude to take someone’s book and seat. The voice was smooth and soft, much like fine silk from Tevinter. It had a lilting quality to it that would make the Inquisitor swoon if it wasn’t waking him from his slumber. Aquamarine eyes shot open, and a small shout rose from his throat. A hand clasped over his mouth, and Dorian gave a small chuckle.
“I did not mean to startle you, but perhaps you should be more quiet if you are trying to be here without the notice of our companions, hm?” Marquis sighed, eyes shying away from Dorian’s face in sleepy embarrassment.
“Maker’s breath. I’m so sorry- it will not happen again.” He stood, holding the book back out to the other mage, expecting the heavy weight to be removed from his hands. He straightened his back, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. He should be working-
“The loss of a book will not be of any harm, I suppose. You can borrow it, if you are so inclined to return it afterwards.” Marquis’ face lit up in a sleepy grin.
“I should be going back to work. We have a lot to do before our next confrontation with Corypheus.”
“You cannot do everything you need to do to beat Corypheus if you are falling asleep on the battlefield.”
A few beats of silence pass, and Marquis turned to leave. “Thank you, Dorian. I should go.”
“I do rather like watching you leave.”
A blush tinged the Inquisitor’s cheeks as he rushed back to his quarters, ready for a long-overdue nap.