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“Reggie, I’m late,” Cassandra says as she enters his private study. She then realizes that Leliana is there. “So what did you summon me here for?” she adds to try to save face. The look the Left Hand gives her tells her that she knows something’s up and they will be having a conversation about this later.
“I’ll leave the two of you alone,” Leliana says before turning to leave. “Come see me later,” she whispers to Cassandra as she passes her. She then leaves the two alone, closing the door behind her.
Cassandra takes a deep breath before looking up at Galyan, who hasn’t moved from behind his desk, nor torn his gaze away from her since she entered.
He swallows and puts a silencing ward around them. “How long?” he asks hesitantly.
“Three days,” Cassandra replies before she starts pacing. “I thought I took the potion last time, but I just realized that I completely forgot! Ugh, Maker, this is so bad! How could I be so careless?!”
Galyan rounds his desk and stops the Seeker’s pacing. “It’ll be alright, Cassie,” he tells her as he runs his hands soothingly up and down her arms.
“But you could be made tranquil if it’s found out!” Cassandra protests. “I won’t be able to stop them! And I’ll probably have to be there, too! Don’t you see, Reggie? This could ruin both of us!”
“I know a spell that can tell us for sure whether or not you are, in fact, pregnant,” Galyan says. “If you’d like, I can do it right now.”
Cassandra looks at him with wide, hopeful eyes. “Would you?” she asks. Galyan nods. “Yes, please! Maker, it would ease my mind so much!”
Galyan smiles at her before kissing her and leading her to a bench in the room. He sits her down and takes the chair from his desk to sit in front of her.
“You ready, Cassie?” he asks.
Cassandra nods. “Yes.”
With that, Galyan begins the spell. Within a few seconds, Cassandra’s stomach starts to glow red. With that, Galyan breathes a sigh of relief and stops the spell. He looks up at her, smiles, and shakes his head. “It’s negative,” he tells her.
Cassandra breathes a sigh of relief before hugging him.
“Thank you,” she says.
Galyan hugs her back, but otherwise stays silent, for he is still working through his emotions as well.
When Cassandra leaves Galyan’s study several minutes later, she heads straight for her private chambers, for she needs a break. When she closes the door and locks it, she is immediately overcome with emotion and she sits down just inside the door. She very rarely cries, but this was so scary for her that she just needs to cry.
Suddenly, she feels a light hand on her shoulder, effectively startling her. She looks up and finds herself looking into Leliana’s pale blue eyes.
“Maker, Leliana, what are you doing in here?” she chokes out.
Leliana doesn’t say anything. She just sits next to her fellow Hand on the floor.
Cassandra looks at Leliana with confusion.
“Oh, don’t look at me like that,” the Left Hand finally says with a slight chuckle. “If you need to cry, then cry, but know that I’m here for you, whether you’re pregnant or not.”
“Ugh, it was negative,” Cassandra says.
Leliana raises an eyebrow. “I would think that would be a good thing, no?”
Cassandra sighs. “It is, yes, but…”
“Part of you wishes it had been positive?” Leliana asks.
Cassandra sighs again. “Yes.”
“Does Galyan know?” Leliana asks.
“What?” Cassandra asks in shock as she looks at the Left Hand with wide eyes. “No, of course not! Besides, even if it had been positive, there are many--”
“I know,” Leliana says as she places a hand on the Seeker’s shoulder, effectively cutting her off. “It’s something Justinia wants to change.”
“And you agree with that?” Cassandra asks.
“You don’t?” Leliana asks in return.
Cassandra sighs. “Honestly, I don’t know.”
“I can understand that,” Leliana says. She stands up and pulls Cassandra up as well. “Come on; let’s move to the sofa where it’s more comfortable, yes?”
Cassandra reluctantly agrees and sits next to the Left Hand on the sofa. “You don’t have to do this, you know. I’m fine.”
“No, you aren’t,” Leliana says with a chuckle. “I can tell how much this has affected you.”
Cassandra sighs. “Fine. It’s just… I love him, and if the situation were different, we could get married and actually have kids of our own. But, it’s not, and we can’t.”
Leliana nods in understanding. “Do you want to get married and have kids one day?”
“Maker, yes!” Cassandra says. “But I know that can never happen with Reggie, and, honestly, if it means we can stay together, I’m fine with that.”
They go on talking for a while, until they are both called back to Divine Justinia’s side.
O0o0o0o
Meanwhile, Galyan retires to his own chambers to process everything that just happened. He, too, somewhat wishes that Cassandra was, in fact, pregnant, but he also knows the possible consequences if that were to happen. He loves her, wants to spend the rest of his life with her, but knows the Chantry would never allow such a marriage.
It never hurts to try…
Sighing, Galyan decides to write a letter to Divine Justinia. She already knows about their relationship, and has always been open about her support of mages, so asking her for the permission to marry the Right Hand is his best and safest option. He goes to the desk in his chambers and takes out a sheet of parchment and his inkwell before sitting down and beginning to write:
Your Perfection,
You’ve known about my relationship with Seeker Cassandra Pentaghast, your Right Hand, for a while now. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t make such a request as I am about to make, but recent events have caused me to have to evaluate my feelings with much more circumspection.
I love her, Your Perfection; want to spend the rest of my life with her. However, being that I am a mage, and her a Seeker of Truth, as well as your Right Hand, even us being a couple is technically against the rules. I would like to, one, thank you for your initial acquiescence that allows us to even be intimate with each other without the fear of punishment for either of us, and, two, ask that you make another one.
I would like to receive your permission and blessing for Cassandra’s hand in marriage. I know this is stretching the rules, and I understand if it just cannot be done, but I just can’t imagine living without her.
Thank you for your consideration, Your Perfection. I look forward to receiving your response.
Maker go with you,
Regalyan D’Marcall
Senior Enchanter of the White Spire
As soon as Galyan finishes writing the letter, he reads it over a few times before folding it and sealing it with his signet ring. Knowing he would be seeing Leliana again later that day, he places the letter in a safe pocket in his mage robes to give to her later, and leaves his chambers to resume his duties.
O0o0o0o
“Your Holiness, I have an important message for you from Senior Enchanter Regalyan D’Marcall,” Leliana says to Divine Justinia upon arriving back at the Grand Cathedral that evening. She hands the letter to the Divine.
“Thank you, child,” Justinia says as she takes the letter from her and motions for her to follow her into her private study. “I take it he had positive reviews for the plans?” she asks once Leliana has closed the door and they have both sat down.
“He did, Your Holiness,” Leliana replies with a nod. “However, I don’t think that’s what the letter is about.”
“And what makes you think that, Leliana?” Justinia asks.
Leliana sighs. “He and Seeker Pentaghast may have had a scare this morning.”
“Ah, that explains why Cassandra seemed a bit out of it earlier,” Justinia says with a slight chuckle before opening the letter and beginning to read. She gasps slightly when she reads his request. “Oh, that may be impossible…” she mutters.
“What may be impossible?” Leliana asks.
Justinia looks at Leliana. “Can you keep it a secret from Cassandra?” she asks.
Leliana nods.
With that, Justinia hands the letter to Leliana, who takes it and reads it.
“Blood and damnation!” Leliana exclaims when she gets to the main request.
Justinia chuckles. “Not what you expected?”
Leliana looks up and hands the letter back to the Divine. “Not in the slightest,” she admits. “He seemed just as affected by this as Cassandra did, and I didn’t think he’d be so bold to make that request so soon!” She takes a deep breath to calm herself. “What are you going to say?”
Justinia sighs. “I’m not sure yet,” she admits. “I will have to pray to the Maker, and ask for His permission before I really can do anything about it. For now, this will be our secret.” She holds up the letter as indication of what she means. “I wouldn’t even discuss this with Galyan, so he doesn’t get his hopes up.”
Leliana nods in understanding. “I agree. As much as I want to see Cassandra happy, if it puts either of them in danger, I think it should wait.”
Justinia chuckles again. “You sound a bit like a hopeless romantic.”
Leliana shrugs. “I may be a little, but very few people know that, and I’d like to keep it that way.”
“Your secret’s safe with me,” Justinia says.
“Thank you,” Leliana says.
When they go their separate ways a few minutes later, Leliana starts brainstorming ideas about the wedding, for she knows the Divine will ultimately accept Galyan’s request.
O0o0o0o
Regalyan D’Marcall,
After weeks of careful consideration and prayers, I have come to the decision to allow the marriage between you and my Right Hand, Seeker Cassandra Pentaghast, should she accept your proposal. However, I must ask that you keep it between us and my Left Hand, Sister Leliana Nightingale. Due to the controversial nature of this marriage, until mages have gained the freedoms they rightly deserve, I worry those who don’t want that freedom for mages would have cause to harm either of you.
That being said, should Cassandra accept your proposal, it would be my honor to officiate your wedding, so as to keep this as much of a secret as possible. Just let me know what date and time you two decide on as soon as possible.
On another note, I must ask for your presence immediately at my private study here in the Grand Cathedral. Leliana will escort you.
Maker go with you,
Divine Justinia V
Head of the Chantry
Galyan has to read the letter several times before he believes he read it correctly.
Maker, she actually allowed it! he thinks excitedly, but has to make himself calm down since Leliana is still there. He looks at her. “I assume you know about all this?” he asks, gesturing to the letter.
Leliana smiles and nods. “I do, and I already have some ideas, but that can wait. For now, we must get going.”
“Right,” Galyan says before he places the letter in a safe pocket in his mage robes and grabs his traveling cloak. He then opens the door for Leliana. “Lead the way.”
O0o0o0o
After months of planning and getting the perfect ring made, Galyan finally decides that, no matter the outcome of the Divine Conclave, he will propose to Cassandra the night after its conclusion.
What he doesn’t know is that a certain darkspawn magister is about to shatter his plans by making that entirely impossible.