#bow to no one | eloise trevelyan

[nyf-archive]

@savingthrcw asked | hunger .   give  my  muse  something  to  eat  /  drink

The Trevelyan girl looked up to the Inquisitor and nodded to her in thanks as she took the hot cup of tea. It was warm in her cold hands. It had been some time since she had anything since climbing the mountain peaks to get here to Skyhold.

"Might kind of you, lady...I appreciate you sparing your extra resources on those like me." She was an apostate now. Her circle was gone, the templars having tried to murder her and having done so her fiance. It was hard. The road was long and her horse was tired. All her resources had gone to make sure her steed made it here.

She had been battered on her way here. Her bruises and wounds mainly patched up by that of the healers in the triage area, and a larger wound healed by a stranger in the wilds. It was chaos out in the world...the girl had only ever known her home and the circle. So...she was very much so out of her element here.

[talesfromthefade]

Eloise Trevelyan x Cullen Rutherford || SFW || 986 words

"Inquisitor," Cullen greets rather startled with a bow as she makes her way across his office, coming to stand beside the chair in front of his desk.

"Commander," the young woman nods back in polite greeting

"What can I do for you?"

"I wondered whether I might have a private audience with you."

"An audience," Cullen repeats managing to sound both utterly floored and incredulous at the same time. "Maker's Breath, but you make it sound as though I'm the King of Ferelden," the commander chuckles softly, shaking his head. "I'm nothing and nobody so lofty as that, I assure you."

"Neither am I," she points out. "My family name hasn't meant or earned me anything since I was twelve, but yet you still call me by it and formal titles, even when there's no one else around," she continues, gesturing to the otherwise empty office.

"I'm the Commander of our forces, and you are our leader. It is only appropriate I show you the proper amount of respect in front of others," the Commander replies, in what she thinks might be just slightly defensive. "But in I suppose in private that I could call you-"

"Ellie," the young Mage interrupts, with a shy sort of smile. "My friends call me Ellie."

"Are we- You would consider me a friend," Cullen manages to choke out, eyes widening, more than a little surprised.

"I-" the young woman begins, before abruptly seeming to lose track of the words she wants. "Yes," Eloise nods finally, swallowing the lump where her heart seems to have tried to jump up into her throat. "Or I would like for us to be, at least," she admits, cheeks flushing ever so slightly pink as the young Mage forces herself to maintain eye contact despite her growing embarrassment.

"We got off to a less than ideal start," she admits. "Largely because I allowed what I experienced when my Circle fell color my opinion of Templars, and more specifically, of you. That was unfair. I thought perhaps, if I could tell you about it- clear the air between us- perhaps we could start over," she offers, trailing off a little uncertainly in the wake of his continued stunned silence.

"Inq- Ellie," he corrects himself, cautiously testing the name on his tongue, drawing her gaze back up to him from where she had momentarily seemed to find some fascination with a pill in the fabric of her robes. "I appreciate the offer-" he begins. "But it's really not necessary to trouble yourself so much on my account. I'm sure you have other, more important matters with which to attend," Cullen assesses a bit nervously.

"You are important," she blurts out quite before age can think about it or second guess herself. "Our relationship is important to me. I- I expect you probably understand it's not an easy thing for me to discuss," the mage replies solemnly, recalling the way he'd dodged her questions some time ago about Kinnoch Hold during the Blight.

"Yes," he agrees immediately, frowning a little. "Yes, I do."

“But I’d like to. With you,” she continues. “I don't wish to interrupt or drag you away from your other duties," the mage nods towards the small stack of various parchment and reports on his desk. "But Cole says you are laboring under the belief that I'm afraid of you. I was once," she admits truthfully before he can say anything. "But you should know that's not the case anymore.” Amber eyes widen in surprise, but Cullen still can’t seem to find his tongue or the words to reply. “You are not the Templar or man that did this to me,” she continues softly, one hand gesturing briefly to her brow and cheek that bear the scars of what she’s survived. “I don’t fear or believe you would hurt me.”

“Never,” Cullen blurts out with surprising fierceness and without a moment’s pause or thought, shaking his head, earning a gentle and infinitely warm smile that makes his steals his breath for a moment.

“I know.”

For a moment, Cullen thinks perhaps she might be talking of something more. Might know too of the way he sees her, looks for her everywhere, even when he knows her to be away from their hold. That he might give just about anything to be the cause of these sorts of smiles more often, every day even. How terrifying those hours after he lead the villagers, refugees, and troops away from Haven, left her behind to face an unknown enemy had been. The way he’d gripped her just a little too tight in his arms while rushing back to camp-to the nearest, largest fire- through the snow, desperate to reassure himself she was there, still by some miracle alive. He’d not shared Cassandra’s certainty before that. She was valuable, perhaps their best chance of sealing the Breach, but he’d not truly believed she might be Maker sent, Andraste’s chosen, until he’d finally seen her shuddering with cold, stumbling over the crest of the nearest hill.

“I-“ the Commander begins, swallowing hard as he fights to recompose himself once more. “I’m afraid there’s no less work ahead of us,” he manages both somewhat teasing and apologetic, harkening back to their first real conversation with one another back in Haven, as the young woman chuckles softly, shaking her head. “But perhaps if you wouldn’t mind accompanying me in walking the ramparts, we could at least give them the slip for a little while.”

“Lead the way, Commander,” she nods, gesturing to the door.

“Cullen,” he corrects, as they make their way out of his office.

“After you then…. Cullen,” she replies, testing the name and smiling again.

Maker’s breath, but even if all she ever wishes for them to be is friends, he doesn’t think he’ll ever tire of that smile, or the sound of his name on her lips.

[nyf-archive]

Eloise looked to her hands. They were cold chapped and still red, despite how she had been holding the cup. Retelling the events that brought her here had been difficult. The sound that had left her lungs when she witnessed her best friend in the circle being cut down, an unsuspecting victim. They hadn't even made it past the front gates of the tower when she was ripped from Malcolm's arms. But he fought with all that he had, freed her from harm, only to be struck down in front of her. That was the first time she had ever thought to use techniques long deemed taboo. But her heart was stolen from her chest that day. The only thing she had to remember him by was the ring on a chain around her neck.

Eloise was so lost in thought, that when the Inquisitor spoke, it startled her slightly. Blue eyes flickered up, finding her features as she began to explain what would happen should she stay. A soft breath leaves her lungs, thankful to hear that she wasn't going to be forced to do anything. It was comforting knowing all this information. Quietly, the girl found her small satchel from the ground and pulled out the small glass bottle that was filled with her essence within. Setting it delicately on the table between them, Eloise nodded her head in agreement. "This plan works, ma'am." Her voice is softer as she slides it over and then sits up a little more straight.

"As I've said...I'll go anywhere, do whatever it is you require. Should you want me in your forwards camps, that's where I will go. If it is here you wish of me to make potions and tend to the wounded, I can." She pulls the blanket a little tighter around her shoulders, nodding her head slightly in thanks once more. "Thank you, Inquisitor...I know it sounds cliche but...this is a gift you're giving me, and I thank you. Very much."

Despite her chaotic past, Ellana had found relatively easy to control herself and think before acting: perhaps due to the traumatic events of the conclave, perhaps because of how much responsibility had been put on her shoulders, but she truly felt like her emotions didn't have the same tremendous hold on her as before. Still, hearing Eloise describe those horrors put that to a test; Templars had been once again happy to slay innocent mages, and no matter how many they fought she didn't see an end in sight.

She had to be reasonable, to once again think, but every fiber of her being wanted to find those specific Templars and kill them, as well as to offer this survivor the comforts she deserved, since peace of mind was out of question. She had lost a fiance, what more was there to say? And Ellana knew she should take the phylactery and her offer to help because they certainly needed it, but she hadn't been chosen to lead so she could keep the status quo, her official duty was simply to close rifts.

"I opened my doors to you and I will not be sending you away, but unless Skyhold is under attack and we are all forced to fight, I will not be demanding your magic in return," she decided to say then, leaning back against her armchair, "If you wish to... fight with us, if you wish to come on our expeditions, we can really use the help, but if not... then I will not be asking you for anything except to make yourself useful here, preparing healing potions, for example. I'm not a Templar, I'm not an Enchanter... I'm not even human, so I have no interest in forcing mages to do my bidding to survive. I just need you to follow this place's rules, like try not to start a fight, don't steal... normal doable rules, I promise." Frankly, when mages came seeking aid after slaughters, all she wanted was to offer a bed and more tea. "I'll take your phylactery but I won't keep it. I will return it to you eventually. It's just a matter of not knowing you and having to be responsible for everyone else too. Does this plan work for you?"

[talesfromthefade]

~OC Quiz~

RULES:YOU CAN ONLY SAY GUILTY OR INNOCENT FOR YOUR OC. YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO EXPLAIN ANYTHING UNLESS SOMEONE MESSAGES YOU OR ASKS YOU. (Please feel free to send asks, I always love to talk about my babies.)

~Eloise Trevelyan~

Asked someone to marry you?- innocent

Kissed one of your friends? - guilty

Danced on a table in a bar or tavern? - innocent

Ever told a lie? - innocent

Had feelings for someone whom you can’t have? - guilty

Ever kissed someone of the opposite sex? - guilty

Ever kissed someone of the same sex? - innocent

Kissed a picture? - guilty

Slept in until 5pm? - innocent

Fallen asleep at work or school? - guilty

Held a snake? - innocent

Been suspended from school? - innocent

Worked at a fast food chain/restaurant? - N/A

Stolen something? - innocent

Been fired from a job? - innocent

Done something you regret? - guilty

Caught a snowflake on your tongue? - guilty

Laughed until liquid came out of your nose? - innocent

Kissed in the rain? - innocent

Sat on a roof top? - guilty

Kissed someone you shouldn’t? - guilty

Sang in the shower? - guilty

Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on? - innocent

Shaved your head? - innocent

Slept naked? - innocent

Had a boxing membership? - innocent

Made a boyfriend/girlfriend cry? - guilty

Been in a band? - innocent

Shot a gun bow? - guilty

Donated blood? - innocent

Eaten alligator meat? - guilty

Eaten cheesecake? - guilty

Still loved someone you shouldn’t? - guilty

Have/had a tattoo? - innocent

Liked someone, but will never tell who? - guilty

Been too honest? - innocent

Ruined a surprise? - innocent

Eaten so much that you can’t walk after? - innocent

Erased someone in your friends list? - N/A

Dressed in a man’s clothes? - guilty

Dressed in a woman’s clothes? - guilty

Joined a pageant? - guilty

Still have communication with your ex? - innocent

Been told that you’re beautiful by someone who meant it? - guilty

Cheated on someone? - innocent

Gotten totally drunk and missed an exam? - innocent

A total stranger treated you by paying your fare? - N/A

Got so angry that you cried? - guilty

Tried to stay away from someone for their own good? - guilty

Thought about suicide? - guilty

Thought about murder? - innocent

Actually murdered someone? - innocent

Thought about mass murder? - innocent

Actually committed a mass murder? - innocent

Rode in a stranger’s vehicle? - N/A

Stalked someone? - innocent

Had a girlfriend? - innocent

Had a boyfriend? - guilty

Gotten totally drunk during a holiday? - innocent

[nyf-archive]

Eloise blinked slightly as she listened to the woman's words. Damn. She was...not expecting that. The girl looked down to her tea as she felt...accepted? No...relieved was the better word. To know that she wasn't going to be forced onto another leash or under the close watch of templars again made it easier for her to settle in. Taking another sip of her tea, Eloise let herself be immersed in the taste before setting the cup down on the makeshift table in front of her.

"My name is Eloise...Trevelyan, ma'am. And I don't mind sharing what's happened..." Her head focuses on the warmth in her hands, the emotion long gone from her eyes. "When the uprisings began, tensions in Ostwick began to rise...the templars were getting antsy, and the fear was gripping the mages. My fiance came to remove me from the circle to better protect me; my family is rather well known in the Chantry's services. I am...the only outlier of my siblings. The only mage, so I was the only child away from home when this all was happening."

Her thumbs rubbed along the paint of the small, chipped cup, the empty look growing across her eyes, as if she was Tranquil. There was caution in her tone at what she said next.

"...they were slaughtering us like sheep...out of fear. We never stood a chance. My fiance...he gave me just enough time to get out. I've traveled a long way to speak about what has happened to my kin. As far as I am aware, I am the sole survivor of House Trevelyan. I am one of few apostates from the Ostwick circle...." and she was maleficarum. How to broach that subject? To defend herself, she had used forbidden magics. She had sated demons with the blood of those who sought her own. She didn't want to die. Especially not at the mercy of Templars.

"I...offer up my phylactery as a promise. To the Inquisition...to you...I wish not for anyone to hold my chains, but if it means my safety, then my magic is yours, my lady. I am a gifted alchemist and elementalist. You point in the direction, I'll follow."

Ellana's eyebrows shot up at that thank you, and it was infuriating to hear an innocent person consider themselves below receiving help. Especially in the form of tea and medical supplies. Having the chance to welcome people there was one of the few perks of the job and one of the first reasons she had stopped feeling the constant urge to tell her advisors she couldn't lead anyone. "There is no 'those like you', there is just one of us," Ellana assured her, "Whether there is a Blight or the sky is opening up above us, as far as I'm concerned we should all have each other's backs and leave insignificant differences aside." Even if most people didn't seem to agree with that. She had been around humans and cities before becoming Inquisitor long enough to know that mages weren't always welcomed, and more so after the Kirkwall's mess, but having been raised by people who freely used magic meant that she could tell just how ridiculous that was.

"But call me Ellana," she offered, taking her own cup of tea. "Is it alright if I ask your name and what happened?"