Work Text:
The sun was high over Skyhold, every single part of the stronghold was buzzing with life, people carrying their duties out. The guards were patrolling the battlements, recruits were training under the clinical eye of Knight Captain Rylen, Leliana’s scouts were running around, delivering reports and picking up lines of conversation on their way. The main hall was filled with nobles and dignitaries from all over Thedas, chatting and gossiping, all awaiting to steal a glance of the famous Inquisitor.
Her Worship the Herald of Andraste, leader of the Inquisition, though, was nowhere to be found.
Her absence hadn’t gone unnoticed and soon half of Lady Lavellan’s companions, along with a handful of the Spymaster’s people, had been unleashed to found her under Josephine’s strict orders.
She wasn’t at the Tavern and neither Bull, Sera or Cole had seen her passing trough.
She wasn’t in the Library, where one could usually find her reading alongside Dorian.
Her lover confessed to have lost her traces since that morning, but he assured a rather frantic Cassandra that she was to be found between the safety of the battlements.
Varric reported that she wasn’t in the servitude’s area as well, which was odd since that was where Thalia would be if not busy.
Dorian came back from the hidden library informing that there was no trace of her down there.
Morrigan had shook her head when asked if she had crossed paths with the Inquisitor in the Gardens.
Even Leliana could not say where she was.
And that had everyone at a loss.
Had she disappeared on them? Did someone kidnapped her under their noses? Did a rift open and swallowed her? Hypothesis were raised and shoot down. Everyone seemed to have their opinion but then again, Solas had assured them she was still in Skyhold...
Cassandra had Dorian double check her quarters before heading out to Cullen’s office. She was almost positive that the Commander would be oblivious on where their leader had disappeared to, but he basically was the last one left yet be asked.
The Seeker impatiently knocked on his door and politely waited for answer before storming in.
Cullen watched her over worried face with curiosity; it wasn’t an everyday occurrence to see the woman wearing such an expression. Something was wrong.
‘What happened now?’ he groaned, straightening on his char, neck snapping after so many hours stiffened on reports.
‘The Inquisitor has vanished.’ She stated in a more steady voice that he’d expected.
‘The Inquisitor...has vanished.’ He repeated, stressing the key words.
Cassandra started to pace up and down his office.
‘We’ve searched the whole of Skyhold but she’s nowhere to be found! – she exclaimed half exasperated. – I’m this close to sending out a patrol, but Solas has assured us she’s still inside...’ she trailed off.
Cullen kept silent, slowly processing what the Seeker had just told him.
How could she still be there when no one had yet to find her?
The worst scenarios started to crowd his mind: demons, Venatori, rifts, more demons, Corypheus...
‘I-‘ The commander’s words were cut off as a loud moan filled the air.
Cassandra’s head snapped towards him and watched him wide-eyed as Cullen started to violently blush.
There was no mistake, what they had just heard was the Inquisitor’s voice.
‘Commander...is there something I should know?’ she deadpanned.
The ex-Templar stood up in a rush, ready to defend himself and the honour of the Herlad, but his voice caught in his throat as he watched said Lady travel down the ladder that led to his “quarters”.
She approached the two of them yawning and stretching, like she had just woken from an extremely satisfactory sleep.
‘Inquisitor...’ Cullen called her out reproachfully, rubbing his temples.
Thalia came to a stop when she noticed the Seeker standing next to the Commander wearing an extremely scary face.
‘I..uhm..’ she said tentatively.
Cassandra practically charged at her, fury in her eyes.
‘Speak. Now.’ She ordered the other woman.
A light blush could be seen crawling on her long ears as she tried her best to clear her voice and hide the embarrassment.
‘I, um, came by this morning to talk to Cullen about some issues with the Templars but he wasn’t at his desk so I peeked up in his room. He wasn’t there either, obviously, but before going back down my eyes fell on a book that was lying around on the floor...’ she blurted out ‘I had wanted to read that one for some time but when I got to take it Dorian told me someone had it already but didn’t know who...’ grumbled Thalia giving Cullen a stern look of accusation at which he flinched.
‘So when I found it I started reading it right where I stood and after some time I fell asleep..’
Cassandra groaned in disbelief at the woman carefree attitude, but the Inquisitor’s admission had the Commander chuckle in amusement.
‘Oh don’t look at me like that! – she bit back at Cassandra’s unsympathetic look – I haven’t been sleeping much lately.’ She winked teasingly.
Both the warriors were flushing red as they caught up with her innuendo.
‘It seems your doing your job properly then, Chuckles!’ laughed Varric behind them.
Thalia turned to see the dwarf standing on the door to the Rotunda with Dorian and Solas on tow.
The elf’s lips were slightly pulled into a smile – which his lover recognised to be one of pride – and she realised that the trio had been standing there for enough time.
‘For the Maker’s sake, go see Josephine now, Thalia!’ Cassandra groaned from beside her.
The Inquisitor suddenly tensed up at her companion using her name instead of one of her titles; if the Seeker was ordering her around on a first name base then she definitely had to hurry.
She hurried out of the poor Commander’s office passing through a way too amused dwarf, a mage with a knowing smile and a very proud lover.
‘Good luck Kitten!’ called Varric after her.
She almost didn’t catch her fellow rouge words as she was too busy building up her determinations that was slowly crumbling under Solas hungry eyes.
‘I’ll see you later, Assan.’ He whispered in her ear as she passed him.
Thalia blushed as expectation built up inside her and she rushed into the Rotunda before she could let herself throw all her engagements for the day over the battlement and drag Solas to her quarters.
As she disappeared from sight, Cullen fell back on his chair with a dull thump.
‘Maker’s breath, there’ll never be an uneventful day with her around...’ he sighed.
Cassandra shook her head, a sigh of relief silently leaving her lips.
Varric chuckled and Dorian laughed wholeheartedly.
‘Indeed.’ Came also Solas’ response definitely but still subtly amusement.