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She gave him icy looks, which were filled with anger on the one hand and sadness on the other. Perplexed, Ser Delrin Barris gazed after Aedra Lavellan as she walked past him without further words. With her departure, others followed, Templars, the Inner Circle - The work of the Inquisition is done, the chaos on Therinfal redoubt finally eliminated. Cassandra watched the situation between them, sensing some association as Delrin stood helplessly and watched the elf move on, squad and all.
"You know each other?"
He turned as he heard the Seeker's voice and nodded with a bitter expression. "Yes, we were in Ferelden together for a time." - "With the Circle I assume?" again he nodded in agreement and watched as Cassandra walked past him as well. "Are you coming?" she asked, half-turning to face him. The question was more likely to be whether Aedra would let him come. To learn that she was the Herald of Andraste and thus held an important position in the Inquisition was a shock that he had to process after all that had happened on Therinfal redoubt. He had to find out why Aedra rejected him like that, especially after three years where they had not seen each other, he had wished for a nicer greeting. They both met in the Circle of Magi, but the young Templar had to move to Kirkwall to finish his training and to support the other Templars there for the time being.
Before the Inquisition returned to Haven, the fading Templars had to prepare for their departure. Once in the Templar dormitories, Delrin opened a large wooden chest that stood next to his bed and packed his belongings into a bag. The Templar did not have much with him - clothes, grinding stones, the box with the lyrium in it and some letters from his family and another letter from Aedra, which he had received on arrival in Kirkwall. The creaking of the door behind him did not distract him and so the one that entered did not give him a glance. He closed the bag, stood up and put it on his shoulder.
"I'll be ready in a minute, I just need to..."
"Talk."
Interrupted a feminine voice and his heart sank into his shoes. That soft, soothingly melodic voice almost took him by surprise and he was forced to turn around. Standing before him was her - the herald of Andraste, unexpectedly. They looked at each other without further words and surveyed each other. Aedra's long, straight grey hair neatly combed despite the struggle, part of it braided into a headband. The round, antivan earrings which were studded with pearls and clinked beautifully flattered her face. The almond-shaped, pink lavender eyes stood out like a polished amethyst. Only the scar on her jaw was new to Delrin. Aedra too saw how the Templar looked slightly exhausted, but his green eyes gleamed just as they had when they first met in Ferelden. His dark skin accentuated them and his lips almost invited her to kiss them. His hair was shorn very short, back then it was slightly longer but not significantly so.
"Aedra, I..."
She interrupted him again as she took a few steps towards him with a disappointed look on her face, on the verge of either grabbing him by the collar in a rage or clawing at his chest and starting to burst into tears. Her eyes glazed over, her lips trembled.
"You never answered me. I sent you so many letters. You didn't even answer the first one. For years I tried to reach you and I wasted my years."
Confused by the accusations, he shook his head in bewilderment.
"I have answered you Aedra. I have always waited for your reply. "
Her eyes grew wide with mistrust. She didn't understand - was he squirming away now or telling the truth? Her mouth slightly open with the need to answer. But she stood there as if tied up, trapped as in the circle of the magi. Delrin put the bag down beside him and carefully took both her hands. His warmth released her from her rigidity for a brief moment and she looked up at him.
"I have wondered every day how you are doing, when you will finally be free. Whether you have forgotten me and possibly have someone else. It was torture not to know all that. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't go back to Ferelden and I was stuck in Kirkwall. And when I got back, I couldn't find you, you just disappeared."
He explained in a broken tone. She felt all this tormenting him and wished she could take that pain away from him, but uncertainty stood in the way.
They both turned as they heard footsteps and saw the former instructor Delrins standing in the doorway, caught eavesdropping. He looked distressed, tired from battle. The grey-haired one grabbed his forehead in shame.
"He answered you herald. But the letter never arrived."
"How 'it never arrived' ?" the young Templar asked indignantly, almost angrily. Instructor Hasley sighed and folded his arms.
"You two have spent a lot of time together, more than you should. Both I and the Grand Enchanter have noticed this. It was out of the question that you would want to continue to be in contact after your transfer. Your education was thus in jeopardy and we had to intercept your letters."
They both remembered the golden rule, which they quickly tried to suppress, to pretend it never existed - No friendships or relationship between Templars and the mages in the Circle. Both looked bitterly into the void, yet they felt a lightness in their chests to finally have certainty.
"I'm sorry Ser Barris."
"No, I understand. Thank you for telling me, though."
"I'll leave you to it then. When you have time please come back to my office for a moment, I need some more information for today's report."
Delrin nodded his understanding and watched Hasley leave them alone again, locking the door behind him. His eyes went back to Lavellan who gave a soft beaming smile.
"What?" he asked with a bemused laugh. She hugged him tightly and snuggled against him.
"I missed you."
"I missed you too."
Aedra's heart was pounding, she wanted to kiss him after all these years, the urge was too great after so many years of waiting. But would he still return her feelings after all these years she wondered - all in time.
"Let's go." She asked him and the Templar nodded, picked up the bag of belongings and they both left the bedchamber.
Throughout the afternoon, things were loaded and everything was prepared for tomorrow's departure. Towards evening, the soldiers, Templars and Inner Circle could retire briefly and have dinner in the hall, where they usually spent their free time, or a tankard or two of ale to celebrate. Aedra and Delrin could hardly wait for this moment and slipped out to a quieter spot in the fortress - The Battlements. Many years had passed, both had all sorts of things to tell each other. They leaned against the wall and watched the landscape and the wide river that flowed along the fortress. The night was fresh, the starry sky covered by light clouds. Small torches adorned the ground below them.
"...and then in Denerim they caught me and I had to go back."
"I can't believe you escaped. What did Iriving say about that?"
Aedra puffed out her chest and pulled a tense grimace as she tried to imitate great enchanter Irving.
"Aedra you are lucky you are a model student otherwise we would have sent you to Anderfels!"
"Oh Maker Anderfels! I heard it was probably the most closely guarded Circle!"
Aedra shook her head in agreement and chuckled a little.
"Yes, ever since a mage tried to break out of there several times, they even keep a log of who is where and when in the tower. But luckily I wasn't with Irving for long and was allowed out after two months. What was Kirkwall like?"
"Honestly, a total disaster. I've only been there for almost to years. We had a lot to build up after the catastrophe there. Some of us couldn't stay in Kirkwall any longer. Cullen Rutherford was one of them."
"No way...Cullen was in Kirkwall? He never told me that before!" replied Aedra flabbergasted and saw Delrin chuckling even before he could tell.
"Yes, he was knight commander of the Templars and at Meredith's side. I must say, I never expected him to take Hawke's advice so seriously. His new hairstyle turned out very well for him after all." He continued laughing. Lavellan stopped the Templar short and grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Wait are you seriously telling me right now that THE Hawke gave our commander styling tips?!"
Delrin laughed out loud, understanding her bewilderment all too well.
"Be glad, his curly hair back then resembled Rivaini noodle soup! You know those curly noodles they always put in soup?"
"Oh Maker, Delrin!" she admonished him mischievously, patting him on the shoulder.
"What? The soup itself is quite tasty, you should try it!"
Their laughter slowly faded into emptiness and Delrin could tell that something was bothering Aedra. He leaned against the wall again and glanced at her. His gaze stiffened to her left hand, trying to figure out the background of her silence.
"Does that worry you?" he asked pointing at her hand.
She shook her head in denial.
"No not really. I'm fine with it to be honest. I'm more concerned with a particular question from earlier. You asked me if I have someone?'
she asked banteringly but with an uncertain undertone and saw the Templar look sideways for a moment in embarrassment.
"Do you?" he asked cautiously.
"No. You?"
"Yes."
There was a sudden silence and her heart lapsed into an infinite void, the shock ran deep but it was comprehensible. They both became friends in the Circle and they knew that there was always a special bond between the two of them. But the realisation came too late and the young Templar had to go to Kirkwall. After all these years, she tried to realise that he might have forgotten her, but today this did not seem to be the case. Dejected by this realisation, she bowed her head and puffed out.
"I hope this person makes you very happy Delrin. I know I was very rude today but I realised a few things. Forgive my manners. Who is it if I may ask? How are they?"
Actually, Lavellan didn't want to ask that question. It was as if she was rubbing salt into her own deep wound. But Delrin was not only a good friend, he was someone very close to her, despite the silent three years. She needed to know if he was being well looked after. He chuckled uneasily.
"Aedra...really now?"
She felt him pulling her towards him, impatient and hungry for her lips he moved closer to hers and kissed her gently while his hand on her waist pressed her even tighter to him. Like fireworks, an electrifying feeling of that time ignited in the two of them. Not wanting to let go of each other, they continued to kiss gently, exploring each other's every fibre. Gradually the urge was stronger and their kisses were more intimate, more uninhibited. They gasped for breath and spared the pauses - too many years had passed. Too long they had to wait for this moment.
For a brief moment, Lavellan stopped and looked into his grass-green eyes, smiling. Her cold fingertips felt the warmth of his hot cheeks.
"After all these years, you haven't forgotten me."
"How could I? I prayed to the Maker every day that we would see each other soon."
"Your prayers have been answered it seems." She smiled and hugged him tightly.
She clutched at the fabric and pressed her head to his chest, just as she had intended to do from the beginning. Delrin gently stroked her hair and felt the tangy smell of elfroot and rosemary. His heart glowed inside at how much he had missed her scent.
"When I saw you earlier I couldn't believe it. And now you're finally in my arms."
The elf looked up at him, her eyes shining with hope.
"I can't believe you still have feelings for me I-"
"I always had and always will. There wasn't a single day where I didn't loved you."