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The wedding was an affair the likes of which would be talked about for decades to come.
“No!”
“You always say no Vivvy but you like pranks! It’s just that your puckery mouth can’t form any other words!”
“In what peculiar way did you gather that I enjoyed pranks?” Vivienne said exasperatedly, drilling her gaze into the rogue who was sitting on the windowsill of the mage’s quarters, sucking on a honey stick.
“That time with the viper, you sent it right back all fussy and leggy, you like pranking all right, you just don’t want yourself to know it!” Sera declared triumphantly.
“Don’t want myself to- Sera, my dear, though I would be thrilled to discuss this utterly ridiculous line of thought you seem to be following, I have quite a lot to do and I would prefer it if you ceased running around my room as if it were the Hinterlands! In case you have forgotten, it does happen to be my wedding tomorrow!”
A gentle knock on the door interrupted Sera’s retort.
“Hey Iron Lady, you in there?”
“Oh, for the maker’s sake, can I not have a moment of peace?” Vivienne exclaimed, opening the door with a huff. “What could you possibly need Varric?”
“Oh nothing, I just came to get Buttercup out of your hair, that’s all,” the dwarf said, slipping inside as Vivienne’s exasperated expression softened. Sera stuck her tongue out at Varric.
“Oh shove it up your arse, I’m not in any hair at all!” Sera crossed her arms, honey stick gripped tightly in her fist. Varric shrugged.
“Well, I’ll just tell Dagna that you’re not around, then, she said she had crafted something spectacular for you... something with fade-touched honeycomb, did she say?” Varric said nonchalantly, turning to leave. “Do you think she’d give it to me if I asked?”
“What!” Sera leapt indignantly from the window seat and sprang to the door. “Over my dead arse she would!”
Varric winked at Vivienne as the blonde elf raced down the hallway, presumably to Undercroft. Vivienne gave a sigh of relief.
“Thank you, Varric,” she said, rubbing her forehead tiredly.
“Don’t mention it, Iron Lady,” Varric replied, chuckling, as he left the enchanter’s quarters to follow his fellow rogue. Vivienne had barely sat down at her desk when another knock sounded at the door. The irritated mage did not even get up to answer the door as she shouted,
“I cannot fathom why there is this sudden interest in disrupting my peace of mind! If you are looking for someone to bother, go find the Inquisitor instead!”
“The Inquisitor is currently occupied in the Exalted Plains, which is a rather long trip to make,” a heavy Nevarran accent answered. “Also, the Inquisitor is not my fiancé, who I wish to see.”
Cassandra poked her head in the door, smiling at the sight of Vivienne. The seeker had scarcely taken one step into the room before she was embraced by her soon to be wife.
“Darling, I am so glad you came,” Vivienne said, her words muffled by Cassandra’s collar.
“As am I,” Cassandra said, pulling back so she could look the enchanter in the eye. “Varric said Sera has been causing trouble?”
“I believe she means well, although she does bring me to my wit’s end,” Vivienne sighed, detangling herself from Cassandra and returning to her desk. She began to sort her stacks of paper meticulously, wedding details on every sheet. Cassandra leaned against the bedpost, watching her work.
“She said something to me as we passed in the hallway, something about ‘weddings are boring without pranks’? What is she talking about exactly?” Cassandra asked.
“She was trying to convince me to let her set up one of her infamous pranks at our wedding,” Vivienne said, shaking her head adamantly. “Not with the Empress in attendance, for the maker’s sake! I cannot believe she thought I would agree to such an outrageous plan! Nevertheless, hopefully Varric suitably distracted her and she forgot all about her ideas.”
“She is quite determined, that one,” Cassandra said, hiding a smile. “But I will have the Inquisitor promise that everything will go smoothly.”
“Oh, would you? Thank you, dear,” Vivienne replied. She scribbled something down on one of her papers before glancing up and catching up Cassandra’s eye. “Truthfully, darling, I am not worried. It will be lovely, regardless of whatever silly thing that elf dreams up.”
The mage stood and crossed the room to Cassandra. Placing a gentle hand on Cassandra's cheek, Vivenne tilted her head slightly to capture Cassandra's lips. Cassandra’s hands crept to Vivienne’s waist, pulling her closer. Vivienne broke the kiss, but kept their foreheads together, maintaining their contact.
“One more day,” she whispered.
“One more day,” Cassandra echoed. It could not come quickly enough.
The seeker chose the color of a midnight sky for her dress to radiate elegance and beauty.
“Cassandra, are you ready? It’s almost time.”
Leliana stood outside Cassandra’s door the next morning. At the behest of the inquisitor, Cassandra had moved from her typical sleeping quarters in the armory to one of the recently furnished rooms in the Skyhold castle.
“Cassandra?” Leliana repeated, hearing nothing from inside the room. She opened the door hesitantly and saw no sign of the seeker. Leliana opened her mouth, about to call out for her friend again when she heard a voice from the bathroom tucked into the corner of the room.
“I am almost ready! Maker damn this dress!” Leliana chuckled.
“Need any help?” She called as she perched on a chair to wait.
“No! I fought Corypheus himself, for the maker’s sake, I can zip a dress!”
Leliana waited as the sounds of struggling grew more intense. Finally, the noise paused and Leliana heard a deep sigh from within the bathroom.
“Leliana?”
“Yes?”
“I need your help.”
Leliana slipped into the bathroom and gave the frazzled bride a once-over. The gown that was giving Cassandra so much trouble was fairly simple, but extremely elegant. The dress was long-sleeved and dark blue with silver accents near the plunging v-neck. Cassandra had been overjoyed to discover that there were pockets, much to the amusement of all around her. The problem was the zipper in the back of the dress at the base of Cassandra’s neck. Leliana zipped it quickly and stepped away, allowing Cassandra to look at herself fully in the floor-length mirror for the first time.
“You look wonderful,” Leliana assured the Seeker, the customary encouragement given with an extra dose of warmth and sincerity. Cassandra stared at the mirror hesitantly.
“I suppose it is all right,” she finally concluded. “I do not look completely ridiculous, at least.”
“Not at all,” Leliana agreed, with a hidden smile at Cassandra’s unnecessary concern. “Now, are you ready?”
“Yes,” Cassandra said, a smile spreading across her face. “I am.”
The enchanter was a vision in white, with diamonds in her ears and stars in her eyes.
Vivienne was rather calmer than her fiance as she too prepared herself for her swiftly approaching wedding. Her wedding dress, a pure-white strapless beauty that was touched up with diamond beading, was elegant and fit perfectly on Vivienne. She accessorized the dress with diamond earrings, a surprising wedding gift from Cole, of all people, who had given them to her while saying,
“You stopped wearing them because it wasn’t in fashion at court but she likes them so you like them. You couldn’t find yours so I found you new ones.”
That was all the explanation Cole gave before he vanished around the corner. Vivienne reflected on the memory with fondness as she fastened the earrings to her ears. She couldn’t fathom where Cole had found the precious stones, but she appreciated the gift, nonetheless. A knock sounded at her door, interrupting her thoughts.
“Ma’am?”
“Bull, is that you? Come in.”
Iron Bull, bending his head to fit his horns under the doorframe, entered the first enchanter’s quarters.
“Bull, are those... flowers on your horns?” Vivienne asked curiously, peering at the qunari.
“Oh, yeah,” Bull said bashfully. “Sera made them, she said I looked too formal.”
“Well, this is a formal occasion,” Vivienne replied, arching one eyebrow. “However, I suppose I cannot find fault with a few blossoms. Anyhow, was there something you needed?”
“Oh, well, uh, see, Krem told me about this custom humans had, besides this whole marriage business, of course, something about an aisle? And typically, someone is supposed to walk whoever is getting married down the aisle, or at least that’s what he said. Dorian said the same thing, but we were, uh, in the middle of something, so I don’t know if he really understood the question. Anyway, ma’am, I just wanted to let you know that if you wanted someone like that, I’m pretty good at looking all puffed-up and important, you know, and these horns help with that whole thing-”
“Bull?” Vivienne interrupted.
“Yes?”
“Are you asking to walk me down the aisle?”
“Oh good!” Bull said in relief. “I was worried Krem might’ve been joking with me, I bet one of the boys would put him up to that-”
“Bull.”
“Oh right. Yes, ma’am,” Bull said, pulling himself up to his full heights.
“Bull, I...” Vivienne found she couldn't find the words for what she wished to say. In all of her careful plans for this day, never once had she considered someone to walk her down the aisle. Now, Bull’s utterly sincere wish to walk her down the aisle, despite his less than stellar knowledge of human traditions, touched her deeply.
“I would like that very much,” she finished, a touch of emotion in her voice.
“Whenever you’re ready, then, ma’am,” Bull said, nodding once before slipping out the door to wait outside.
Vivienne took a last glance at herself in the mirror. After Bastien, she had never expected to find herself in love again, much less marrying the very woman that she loved. The thought of Cassandra filled her with joy and she stood, a confident smile spreading across her face.
“Bull,” she called, gathering the train of her dress in one hand. “I am ready.”
“You, I shall love forevermore,” was the enchanter’s vow as she was bound in marriage before Andraste.
The wedding was a large affair, for how could the wedding of Empress Celene’s former advisor to the right hand of Divine Justinia be anything but an enormous affair? Cassandra would have preferred a slightly smaller ceremony, but she gave up upon seeing Vivienne’s guest list, which, when it was rolled out to its full length, covered Vivienne’s desk and hit the floor. Vivienne then informed her that she had received RSVPs from practically every Pentaghast of somewhat noble birth. Cassandra had groaned and braced herself.
Many nobles and members of the Orlesian court were in attendance, at Vivienne’s invitation, prominently among them, Duke Bastien’s relations, all of whom had given their blessing instantly when Vivienne had asked for it. Several enchanters from various circles were also present. They kept to the back, whereas the nobility was seated towards the middle, but whispers remarked on their presence throughout the crowd. The Pentaghasts nearly outnumbered the nobility, however. The sheer amount of them had stunned the ushers. Cassandra, the only unfazed one, had ushered her very extended family into a section and left the rest to Josephine.
In the very front sat the Inquisition. Cullen, in his dress uniform, was seated next to Josephine, who only sat down when the actual ceremony began, as she was attempting to keep the large crowd contained. Blackwall, his beard freshly trimmed, was next to Sera, who, after being interrogated by Cassandra, had sworn that she had set up no pranks anywhere. The inquisitor, who was sitting next to the rogue, had promised to watch for any sign of mischief, but both Cassandra and Vivienne doubted how trustworthy the fun-loving inquisitor really was. To the left of the inquisitor, Varric was scribbling something down, probably taking notes on the wedding for his next book. Besides him was Cole, who kept muttering the thoughts of the noblemen nearby outloud, much to their shock. Dorian was snickering rather inappropriately at this, causing Josephine to reprimand him aggravatedly. Hawke had been invited, but she had sent back a regretful apology, saying she was currently on the seas with Isabela and not likely to return anytime soon. Her wedding gift, which had arrived a few days later, had been labeled “proceed with caution” and rattled ominously. Varric had recommended opening it after the wedding, just in case.
The Chargers had been relegated to the back on account of “unnecessary explosions during rehearsal”. Leliana’s agents, who were floating inconspicuously through the crowd, were listening and watching, their work never done. Leliana herself was standing at the altar with Cassandra, soothing the seeker’s nerves. The two stood next to Mother Giselle, who had agreed to officiate the ceremony. Although she had clashed with the Inquisition numerous times, both Cassandra and Vivienne had agreed the chantry mother was the best choice to pronounce their marriage.
Vivienne had not made her grand entrance yet and the crowd drifted into idle chatter. Just as Josephine finally took her seat with an exhausted sigh from sorting out every petty squabble that occurs when Sera is in the vicinity of Orlesians, Iron Bull poked his head through the doorway and nodded once to Mother Giselle before withdrawing. Mother Giselle rose and quieted the crowd with a hand gesture.
Leliana, who had been watching the door, suddenly felt her hand being gripped tightly. She glanced over to see Cassandra squeezing her hand.
“Thank you,” the seeker whispered.
“Of course,” Leliana replied, smiling as the doors opened and Vivienne, on the arm of Iron Bull, glided to the altar. Vivienne heard several whispers of “magnifique!” from the Orlesians as she proceeded down the aisle, but she never took her eyes from Cassandra, who had smiled brilliantly the moment Vivienne had entered the chantry. Cassandra’s eyes guided Vivienne forward as the enchanter’s breath caught in her throat, overwhelmed in the moment.
Vivienne let go of Iron Bull’s arm upon reaching the altar, looking up at the warrior with grateful eyes. The qunari bowed, his face splitting into a massive grin, as he leaned down to whisper in her ear, “best of luck, ma’am.”
“I won’t need it,” Vivienne murmured in reply, taking Cassandra’s hand in hers. “But thank you.”
Iron Bull winked at the Chargers standing politely in the back before he slipped into his seat besides Dorian, who took his hand with an encouraging smile. As Mother Giselle began the ceremony, Cassandra ran her thumb over Vivienne’s ring finger. Vivienne flashed her soon-to-be-wife a beautiful smile and resolved from that moment on never to take her eyes off Cassandra for the whole of the ceremony.
No one kept a final count, but it is universally agreed that every single Inquisition member cried, though Sera refused to admit this even as she blew her nose into Varric’s handkerchief. Josephine, as expected, cried the most and Cullen began tearing up even before the rings were exchanged. The only hitch in the ceremony occurred when Mother Giselle forgot one of Cassandra’s infamous middle names causing an old, wizened Pentaghast to shout hoarsely, “filomena!”
“Thank you, King Markus,” Cassandra said through gritted teeth as the assembly chuckled.
The ceremony continued smoothly and after the vows, Mother Giselle closed the Chant, smiled and proclaimed Vivienne De Fer and Cassandra Pentaghast to be married.
The wedding concluded with a gentle kiss between the newlyweds and a new beginning.
“Thank you ever so much for coming,” Vivienne smiled graciously as the last of the mages left the reception. Cassandra’s arm was wrapped around her waist as the two stood at the door, saying farewell to the slowly departing guests.
“No pranks, shouting matches or spilled wine, I believe this was a success,” Cassandra said to her wife, smiling.
“If you don’t count the Chargers trying to sneak in five barrels of aged Tevinter liquor, yes, I suppose it was a success,” Vivienne responded dryly, the hint of a smile on her face causing Cassandra to laugh.
The two surveyed who was left, which was mainly Inquisition members with the occasional wandering Pentaghast. Scout Harding and Leliana had covertly set up a shooting range near the back of the bar and were knocking down bullseyes. Varric had gathered the rest of the Inquisition members for a game of Wicked Grace, with the exception of Cullen who was still recovering his dignity from the last game.
“Hey seeker, iron lady, we can always use a few more! Would the new wives care to join us?” Varric called as Josephine began to deal. After a brief glance at Cassandra, Vivienne shook her head.
“If you all are suitably contented, Cassandra and I are going to retire,” Vivienne said.
“Ooooh, the lovebirds are heading up!” Sera shouted gleefully, to chuckles from all around the table.
“Yes,” Cassandra said hastily, seeing Vivienne’s eyebrows arch dangerously. “Try not to leave too much of a mess, please, when you leave.”
“Oh, come now, Cassandra, a mess? Us? Never!” Dorian said dramatically. Cassandra shook her head ruefully.
“Thank you all for coming,” Vivienne said, taking Cassandra’s hand and intertwining their fingers. “Good night.” A choruses of good nights and congratulations came from the table and as the couple left, they heard a boisterous rendition of a traditional tavern song begin.
Upon reaching their new quarters, Vivienne slipped into the bathroom. Cassandra, covering a yawn, spotting a folded note on their bedside table. Curiously, she picked it up and scanned it, her eyes getting wider and wider with every word and a blush spreading across her cheeks.
Madame Prissypants or Seeker Chocolate-hater or whoever,
Figured you might need some things for tonight because you know, your things and things...
Turns out those fancy nobles are dirty all up in there!
(orlesians and all their games)
Anyway left you what Bull and I could find in the drawers
-Sera
“Oh, I will kill that elf!” Cassandra said aloud.
“What was that, darling?” Vivienne asked, emerging from the bathroom.
“Sera,” Cassandra said simply, crumpling the note in her fist and spinning around.
“Ah,” Vivienne said. “I suppose it was bound to happen, she behaved herself so well at the wedding.”
“It doesn’t matter now,” Cassandra said, her eyes focused on her wife as she stepped forward until they were barely an inch apart.
“Good,” Vivienne breathed as their lips met in a passionate kiss. They stumbled back towards the bed, Vivienne’s hands finding the zipper at Cassandra’s neck that had given the seeker so much trouble.
They woke in the morning to a beautiful sunrise, intertwined in each other, and united in love for the rest of their days.
A year after the wedding, a package was left outside Vivienne and Cassandra’s door.
Seeker, Iron Lady, the note attached to it began.
I planned to finish this earlier, but better late than never, right? My editor was riling to publish this one, but I thought I’d better let you two take a look at it first.
Make sure to leave me your thoughts,
Varric
P.S: I’ll get back to Swords and Shields now, Cassandra.
Brimming with curiosity, Cassandra ripped open the package and nearly fainted.
"VIVIENNE!"
"What?! Darling, what is it?" Vivienne came running, peering over her wife's shoulder.
"It's- It's-"
The package was a book, titled “The Enchanter and the Seeker”. It was a mostly true story (Varric took some concessions) of the deep love of Vivienne and Cassandra, from the moment they met to the end of their wedding. Cassandra read the entire book in 3 hours and 17 minutes (Vivienne timed it), cried only twice and sent Varric a 5-page long thank you note. Vivienne, for her part, gave the dwarf the warmest hug he'd received in years when she next saw him and casually informed him his market sales on all of his books had increased threefold due to some well-placed words to the Orlesian court.
In the end, the two decided not to let their book be published, but it was a treasured possession of theirs, kept on their bedside table and left open to the very last page, the very last lines.
And so, the Enchanter and the Seeker were married and contented, ready to face the future together. It was, truly, the happiest of endings.