human
by the wonderful @cyrodilicbrandy with (admittedly minimal) input from yours truly
Kinloch Hold, Lake Calenhad
The Circle of Magi, Fereldan Chapter
9:28 Dragon
Late Evening
Thescent of old parchment mingled with the faint stink of burnt wood, wafting through the secluded little alcove of the library where they sat. Scrunching his nose, Templar Cayden hastily snuffed out the little fire at the edge of the large rosewood table, shaking his head exasperatedly all the while. "Remind me why I agreed to help you again?" he groaned, coming back to sit beside the young woman he was talking to after he'd made sure the cinders had died out. The old Knight Commander wasn't exaggerating when he said to keep your armor and shield upon you at all times when dealing with mages. If it weren't for hisplated armorand quick reaction in forming the anti-magic barrier, he would've been burnt to a crisp.
Not that he'd ever get an apology out of Aria. She would probably crack a joke and go back to her dusty tomes if he knew anything about her. And the thing was, he did know quite a lot about the red-maned elven maiden. Quite hard not to, when the two had practically grown up together in the tower where the Circle of Magi was housed; Cayden given to the Chantry as a babe, and Aria arriving soon after when her powers manifested. Despite the two of them being Templar and Mage and being of different races to boot, they had grown up to be the best of friends, and eventually came to love each other, as was natural when one locks men and women together in a tower with nothing to do.
Yet, their relationship was secretive, in every sense of the word. Templars and Mages don't fraternize after all, and those that do mingle with the other are viewed with suspicion from both sides. Sometimes, it was tiring, running circles around everyone just so they could share a kiss or talk about their days. He could even say it was exhausting. Not to mention, it broke his heart every time one of his brothers lobbed insults at slurs at her and he could do nothing but watch on the sidelines. But it was moments like these, where there was no one to judge them and they were free to be themselves, laughing and smiling as young people should, that made all the trouble worth it. Even getting almost turned into a human steak.
"Are you done throwing your spells at me? I'm itching to get out of this unbearable hunk of metal," he said with a grin, giving Aria a soft peck on her forehead as he settled down on the plush cushions, his armor creaking with every moment. She was studying for the last examination before she could undertake her Harrowing-- a dreadful affair he would rather not think of at the moment. His sword and shield were neatly laid against the bookshelves on the far end of the alcove, and so was Aria's wooden staff. Shifting in place, he turned to face the elven girl and gazed into her eyes, his own grey hues twinkling with mild excitement for what might come next, after she was done with the books. "It was nice of Wynne to let you stay in the library after dark. I might get a scolding for abandoning my post though." He shrugged nonchalantly, his duties the last thing on his mind at the moment. "You think she'd mind if we, uh..." He raised his eyebrows meaningfully, communicating from his eyes exactly what he was thinking.
gpt
Kinloch Hold, Lake Calenhad
The Circle of Magi, Fereldan Chapter
9:28 Dragon
Late Evening
Ifone lived in the Circle, the smell of burning, whether near or far, was pretty much a constant smell; fire magic, after all, was very useful, even despite the obvious risks that learning it could pose. Though Templars and Mages were far better equipped to deal with sudden magical conflagrations, as Cayden had just proved. Aria had been, for a moment, wearing a rueful expression; one that quickly changed to a playfully exasperated grin as the Templar grumbled and groaned on about their arrangement, him being some kind of guinea pig for her studying. Aria knew it was just for show, better exemplified when Cayden pressed his lips softly to the top of her head. For most of their lives, the two had known each other and had the opportunity to get very close indeed. Though, it wasn't exactly unexpected that two people of a similar age, cooped up in a Tower of which neither could leave, would find themselves attracted to the other. There was just one problem - well, several in actuality, but predominately her being a Mage and him being a Templar forced them into secrecy. She was also an elf, and relations between humans and elves were... fraught, at best.
Still, the two of them put a rather brave face on things. They had to, really, although it seemed that Cayd took it to heart more than Aria did, especially when some Templar or other decided to shove her a little and call her a 'knife-eared bitch'. She knew Cayd wanted to step up and say something, but that would bring suspicion on the both of them, effectively ending their relationship, such as it was. Although Ari had been very young when the was given to the Circle, but even her earliest years were filled with vague memories of racist abuse hurled at her and her family - it, like being a Mage, wasn't something she could change, and so like water off a duck's back, she just shrugged it off. Or at least tried to let Cayd think she shrugged it off. But he loved her, just as she was, so ultimately that mattered more than anything.
Except perhaps the Harrowing. Her eyebrows furrowed together for a moment, thinking of that, but although her practising tonight was all for the benefit of the last exam she needed to pass, she didn't want to dwell on that. Though perhaps, she'd have to bring it up with Cayd at some point - they couldn't just skirt around the issue until it was suddenly upon them. Regardless, she turned to Cayd, eyes twinkling. "I think I'm done for now," she said, voice light. "You've been a very good test subject, I think you deserve a rest." At his own raised eyebrows and suggestive expression, she shook her head, though wearing a smile; she of course knew him well enough to understand what he was getting at, and it wasn't as if she was going to say no against this opportunity. It could, after all, be days until they were able to sneak even a quick, passionate kiss together.
"Wynne would mind - outwardly, at least. She has no issues with lightly scolding anyone!" Aria said with a chuckle. "Though I don't think she'd exactly begrudge us this time, either. As long as we do not make a mess and put everything back where we found it."
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"Oh, thank the Maker," he said as he immediately began to undo the straps at that held together his armor, his shoulders already aching from lugging it around the whole day. He didn't pray for much in life he was born into a noble family, but was given into a life of poverty and servitude while is siblings lived a lordling's life. He wasn't the tallest, strongest or smartest man in the ranks of the Templars. Hell, he wasn't even the most good looking; some of the older Templars had chantry sisters, mages and local girls alike giggling when they passed through nearby villages. But he did pray for moments like these. The Maker was a silent, cruel master, but even those offer some small mercies to their devout servants. "I was hoping to rest later after getting my reward from my favorite mage in the tower," he quipped back with a chesire grin.
The chest plate fell to the ground with a loud clang, echoing across the quiet hall, and the young Templar winced at the sound, smiling sheepishly as he whispered a "Sorry," and continued to shed his protection. He wore a simple loose shirt and slacks underneath, both a dull brown, befitting of the oath of poverty all Templars were forced to swear. "When have weeverbeen messy?" asked he with a look of feigned innocence that wouldn't have fooled the most dim-witted dog. "Come on, Ari. Wouldn't it be romantic to slide everything off the table? Have you never read a smutty novel in your life?" His tone was teasing, affectionate, throwing light jabs at each other a natural part of their banter. Now free of the heavy gauntlets, he flexed his calloused fingers and helped to put the books back in order. 'The Four Schools of Magic', 'Greatest Mages of the Tower Age', 'Mythical Beasts and their Supposed Habitats'. He would never understand how she could memorize all this information in that pretty head of hers. He had enough trouble reciting the Chant of Light at morning prayers!
Done with cleaning up the books and other paraphernalia, he padded towards the edge of the grand rosewood table (the unsinged side) and leaned against it, before hopping onto it with minimal effort. Running his hands through his dark raven hair, he simply observed Aria as she moved, her long Circle robes flowing behind her, the shape of her curves visible under the garment. A smile unknowingly crept onto his lips, and when she caught his eyes, he beckoned her over with a tilt of his chin. "Come here," he said softly, tapping his lap in invitation.
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For a moment, Aria simply watched him as he began to remove his cumbersome Templar armour, her lips curved into a smile. She enjoyed watching him take it off, and not just because it usually preceded their intimate moments. There was symbolism there, as well. Removing the armour was the only way in which Cayd could ever, even briefly, step aside from his duties - to the Order, he was a Templar first, foremost, and forever, and an individual second. Ari knew that the armour didn't make the man what he was, but it was still a fact that some used the armour as a shield against their actions, and like many other Mages in Kinloch, she felt it was something to resent. Cayd was not like them, but had to call those same men his brothers regardless.
She winced along with him as the chest plate dropped to the stone floor, only narrowly missing out on the rather threadbare carpet - becauseof coursesomething had to make noise when they were trying to be as quiet as they could. The library was at least remote, and as long as the two of them were not caught in an entirely inappropriate position, they could at least use the excuse of Wynne's permission. Still... Ari's face turned playfully disbelieving as Cayd continued to do away with the cumbersome armour that she could tell just from the way he slightly changed his posture was a relief to remove. "I distinctly remember you, in a hurry I might add, accidentally tearing a hole in one of my pockets, and a full vial of distillation agent smashing onto the floor." She gestured to the table, the books he was helping put away as she continued. "And besides, smutty literature is neverrealisticenough to be interesting. Yes, there's passion, fumbling and whispered words, but why do they never accidentally bash their foreheads together, or accidentally bite the other's lip?" Aria was of course referring to some of their own escapades, though she had to be fair and concede that having to keep the majority of their intimate moments limited to hurried moments in dark closets did mean accidents could sometimes happen. And, it was endearing, to say the least.
So when he motioned her over to where he had perched himself on the rosewood table, of course she went over, her robes gliding along with her. Her own smile matched his, though with perhaps a little more slyness, as she acquiesced. "So," she began, her voice taking on a tone of curiosity. "This reward? The one you wanted from your favourite mage? What is it?"
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Good memories, they were, and unique to their little predicament. Who else could claim they had to hide behind a pile of potion ingredients in nothing but their breeches while their lover tried to explain the disarrayed pantry? "I can't speak for the distillation agent, but if you might recall, we did find a use for that hole later on," he said, raising his brows ever so slightly in amusement. Not the brightest thing they've done, he'll admit, but as alluring Aria was in those robes, they were a hassle when they were in a rush. That said, he did enjoy it when she bunched up her robes for him, biting her lips and trying her damnedest not to make a sound as he put his tongue to work. The books were slotted back in with ease, Cayden being familiar with their designated spots after helping Ari so frequently these days. "Because, Ari, the characters are not teenagers who grew up in a tower all their lives without anyone to tell them anything about kissing." He rolled his eyes endearingly, knowing full well she was calling back to their many mishaps during their trysts. He had to nurse a busted lip for a week and she had walked around with a limp for days after their first time, but looking back, these moments were the ones they cherished, the ones they committed to memory without even meaning to.
Alas, he hoped today would be one of those days where things were smooth sailing-- no random apprentice walking in, no accidents during sex, no wardrobe malfunctions unless intended. It might be unmemorable, but it would be an enjoyable reprieve from the constant hurdles in their lives, and Maker knows they both deserved a break. Grey eyes glazed hungrily over her frame as she sauntered over, full of confidence and flair, playful yet sensual, all the things he loved about the girl. "I..." he drawled, grabbing her hand when she drew near and pulling her between his legs, wrapping a possessive arm around her waist, "was thinking of asking First Enchanter Irving for one of his famous lemon bread rolls."
A boyish grin flashed across his youthful features, obviously pleased with his little joke. He'd probably earn a smack or two for that, but that was child's play compared to what he endured at the business end of her staff. "I'm joking. The real reward I want..." he whispered, his hand on her waist dropping lower to gently cup her round backside, while his other hand glided between her legs to press against her robes where her sex would be. "...is here. But that can wait a while longer, hmm? No one's here to disturb us tonight. We can take our time." With a deftness befitting of a warrior, he hopped off the tabled and towered over Aria, at least half a head taller, and tipped her chin up with a finger so he could swoop down and capture her lips in a sweet, chaste, kiss.
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Aria felt her face flush slightly, the faint blush contrasting with the grey in her eyes, making them seem as if they were sparkling. It was almost a shame that she had no girlfriends to share and giggle about such misadventures, like she supposed that many young women outside the Circle were able to do. Were he another mage, they might have had that option; however she found Cayd's company to be the perfect antidote for pretty much any social malady, even when they had been much younger and simply friends. "Oh, I certainly remember," she answered, the memory causing a soft shiver through her body, though she waved her hand dismissively as if that little fact was quite beneath her notice. It wasn't, of course, and yet with him she had a reputation to uphold. A playful, teasing reputation, but a reputation nonetheless. It amused her to tease him, sometimes mercilessly, sometimes where he might even start sulking, though never taking it too far - and then it amused her, too, to act like a balm for that teasing, to pour sweet words and kisses over him until her jokes had been forgotten. But she, too, could sometimes feel under Cayd's power, such as now.
For all that she crossed the distance between them looking sensual and confident, the moment his arm curled around her waist, she felt her heart skip a beat - as it always did, without fail. Looking up at him, eyes wide and lips slightly parted, waiting for what she thought was an inevitable kiss, she was completely blindsided by his response. It took her a moment longer than she would have liked to admit that First Enchanter Irving's lemon bread rolls were not actually what he wanted in that moment, and it was confirmed by Cayd's grin. Had his arm not been around her waist, gently possessive, she would have stepped away from him with her eyes narrowed, whilst he would have continued laughing. As it was, she swatted at his chest, just as he thought she would, crossing her arms over her chest, plump lips pouting. "You are a menace, Cayden," Aria said, her voice trying ever so hard to stay neutral and passive. Though it didn't last long and her control wavered, before she dropped her arms, her head shaking appreciatively. "Amenace," she repeated, this time with much more warmth.
Ari would have made further comments on his particular sense of humour, had Cayd's hand not dropped to her ass, cupping it softly through her robes. When his other hand slid downwards towards her sex, her mouth dropped open again, ever so slightly, a slight hitch catching her breath. Aria's eyes were now completely fixed on him, the way he whispered in the small space between them serving to make her forget about all of the risks that could come with their being together so intimately here, tonight. And the prospect of being able to spend more than a few rushed minutes together, the chance of being able to explore each other better, made her heart and body both yearn for him. When he deftly removed himself from the table, lovingly tipping her head upwards, she met his lips eagerly. In that moment, she could feel her heart constrict for just a moment - a feeling that she now attributed to the physical feeling of simply love. Her arms rose between them, pressing softly against his chest, feeling the warmth of him through his brown shirt.
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Aria might have fancied herself the tease of the two - and most of the time she was - but Cayden also had a few tricks up his proverbial sleeve, and it made him snicker how she took a moment to process the joke. Her swats were soft and half-hearted, and Cayden was too busy laughing and gazing at those perfect, pink, pouty lips to raise his arms in defense. Besides, nothing spells true love more clearly than shouting one's name and a couple of half-hearted smacks, or so one of the older Templars said. Cayden did not always concur with the wisdom of his brothers, especially ones old enough to be his father, but on this, he wholeheartedly agreed. The young man could feel nothing but love as she smiled at him, dropping her feigned annoyance, eyes bright and sparkling as her lips turned up into a serene smile. He saw his emotions and thoughts reflected in her identical greys; affection, joy, carefree joviality they could only feel around each other. "And you love thismenace,"he shot back without hesitation, not letting her counter as he leaned down to kiss her.
The change in her demeanor was immediate, her soft, warm frame practically melting into him as he claimed what was his, hands roaming over her body, front and back. His heart raced beneath his chest, and as her hands wandered up to lie against his chest, he wondered if she could feel it, how his heart fluttered bloomed with love for her. It was magical, the moment their lips met, just as magical as it had been when they shared their first kiss as shy teenagers and every other occasion in between. It was soft and chaste, just lips upon lips, slow and sweet as he breathed in her scent-- old dusty tomes, soapy shampoo, essence of lavender, combining with her own natural fragrance to create an inexplicably intoxicating scent that had his olfactory senses going on overload. She was warm, and comforting in his embrace, not to mention her ass was supple as sin to his touch. He made sure to get his fill, grabbing it, squeezing it, even lightly spanking it.
Deeming it appropriate to escalate things, Cayden gently ran his tongue along her lower lip, asking for entrance, the warm, wet muscle primed for invasion into her mouth. There would not be a single moment wasted when she parted her lips, the Templar deepening the kiss and his tongue finding its counterpart, inviting it to dance. There was no need for the urgency that seemed omnipresent in all their little meetings-- but that didn't mean the kiss wasn't passionate. Far from it; it might even be more of a romantic affair, taking the time to properly taste and acclimate to each other. She tasted familiar, forbidden, exhilarating. First Enchanter Irving's lemon bread rolls wouldn't hold a candle to Aria. The young Templar could already feel his arousal stirring in his breeches, starting to press uncomfortably against the fabric. "I love you, Aria," he murmured against her lips, eyes still lightly closed as he resumed the kiss.
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As Cayd's soft lips pressed against hers, his tongue silently seeking permission to enter her mouth, Aria couldn't help but lean into his body, seeking as she always had done the pure closeness of him. Her fingers clenched slightly, bunching up the simple fabric. Each moment they kissed seemed as if time itself slowed down around them; on many occasions the two of them genuinely seemed to forget about their surroundings and situation, only to have to hurriedly pull apart, completely blindsided by whatever happened to interrupt them. But tonight, they would at least have much more time to spend together, to love each other. Her lips parted, a soft sigh slipping forth and into his mouth, and quickly their tongues began to dance with the other's. He tasted sweet - sweet and pure, and it was a heady taste that drove her further into the kiss, her tongue coiling around his in a playful war of dominance.
Ari's hands drifted further down Cayd's chest, slowly, as if exploring the feel of his body beneath the shirt for the very first time. There was very little of Cayd's body she didn't know well, and though she loved every inch of him, she especially enjoyed feeling his toned muscles and the way they would sometimes react to her touch, jumping infinitesimally. She took her time tracing over the outline of his abdomen, another sigh escaping her, before they stopped in their tracks, perched at the hem of his breeches suggestively, fingers trailing light circles. She could tell, from very light clues he always gave off when they were being intimate, that he was becoming aroused; and as she almost always did, began softly teasing him, ever so lightly pushing her hips against his.
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Fingers trailing down his chest and abdomen, leaving trails of fire where her nails went, leaving him tingling and wanting more long after they'd gone. Sweet sounds reverberating from her mouth into his, met with low hum of his own. His eyes opened and looked down at Ari amusedly as she begant to tug at the hem of his breeches, gently grinding her hips against his, suggestive, devious. Naughty little minx, she was, taking advantage of him every way she knew. And he loved it. His hands shifted below her hips, bracing andliftingher as they continued the dance of their tongues, their breaths seeming becoming more ragged and irregular by the minute. She was a petite little thing, and it didn't take much effort on Cayden's part to keep her in the air for a moment, letting her fly like the angel she was, if only for a moment. When he brought her down, it was on the rosewood, just waiting to be used as another furniture for the pair to copulate upon. Bang, went the books, falling off the side of the table onto the threadbare carpet, carelessly swept aside by Cayden's winging hands as promised earlier. Too preoccupied with Aria to care about old Wynne's precious books, he continued on, not even sparing them a glace.
Mind and body dissociated while his mind was wrought with love and affection for the redheaded elf, his body moved of its own accord in lust, his hands reaching down to hike up the long green robes up to her thighs, roaming greedily over the pale, creamy skin and trailing slight grazes over her legs with his fingertips. Finally breaking apart, he reopened his eyes and breathed in, preserving air for another go at her lips, but his grey eyes made a detour between their almost conjoined bodies before they went back to her face. What a beautiful leg, he mused, looking over her limb with a reverence. And she had two of them! The world was cruel and twisted creation of the Maker, having forsaken it and his children long ago, but if anything could be attributed to the Maker having done right, it was giving beautiful women beautiful legs to go with.
"How do you want me?" he asked in a breathy whisper, eager to please and eager to feel, the notion of personal space completely lost between the two of them. One hand still on her thighs, the other traveled up and nestled in her luscious red lock, running through them gently as Cayden took a moment to truly observe the beauty of Ari's face, just before he would make it twist and contort in pleasure.
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Ari could feel his amusement, subtly. Just the way his lips twitched, and something in the next exhale of his breath. And then of course, he swept her upwards, supported entirely by his strong arms, though her own light weight certainly wasn't going to tax the warrior. As he lifted her, she could feel her stomach lift at the same time, and knowing his arms wouldn't let her drop, she took her own hands away from where they had been perched and curled across his shoulders before coiling a few strands of his hair from the back of his neck around one of her fingers. The moment felt like an eternity, before he carefully brought her down onto the table they had just been working at not so long ago. The sound of the books being knocked onto the floor, as Ari had lightly warned against earlier, only slightly stirred her thoughts, and she likely would have rolled her eyes or swatted at Cayd again, were she not so immediately busy.
And it seemed Cayd was too, quickly pulling up the hem of her flowing robes to expose her somewhat, breaking apart their kiss to feast his eyes upon her legs. Aria moved her lips into a pout, one that Cayden would be reasonably familiar with when she pretended to be upset with him. All an act, of course. Especially on seeing the way his eyes took in the spectacle that was her long, willowy legs. She'd have thought it was the first time he'd ever seen them, and her tongue darted past her lips to moisten them slightly, her own expression sly. Cayd's eyes then lifted back up to her face, where their eyes met - Ari smiled up at her lover, feeling her heart's beat racing around her body as he whispered down at her.
Eyes still upon his face - oh Maker, she'd never forget his face - she turned her head just enough to nuzzle lightly against the hand running through her hair, taking a moment to ponder his whispered question. Normally, there was no question of what they might be able to do together; so often they just had to take what little time they had, and make the most of it, if only just a kiss, or their hands inside each other's clothes and pleasuring the other whilst trying to make the least amount of noise possible. But the very idea of being able tochoosewhat to do was so rare that she wanted, instinctively, to answer "In every way", though they likely didn't have quite thatmuch time. Her hands seemed to be working independently of her brain, however, slipping down from where they were coiled amongst his dark hair and once again dropped to hem of his breeches, playing with the fastenings. Ari's voice was husky, breathing shaky with anticipation, when she spoke: "If we have more time than usual, my love, I want to see your every reaction in your face as you make love to me." Not that that hadn't happened before, but simply put, for the most part when they had made love before, it was somewhat rushed, and she longed for the moment they could take their time and just experience what all those smutty novels, the kind she professed she hadn't read, talked about.
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Aria took her sweet time deciding, and Cayden was only too happy to let her. Too often were they forced into rushed moments of passion, not even having the time to let their eyes feast on each other's bodies. Sometimes a simple kiss, perhaps a touch here and there, maybe pleasuring each other with their hands if they were so lucky. Even getting to choose how they spent their time was a luxury, and a night together in a bed was almost a fever dream. Waking up to the lazy morning sun in each other's arms, burying his face into her pillow, breathing in her scent as she attended to her morning routines, not having to always feel like they were on a timer-- fragments of his fantasies, from smutty novels to late nights tossing and turning in the barracks. Was it sad that his ambitions flew no higher than hoping for a normal life with the woman he loved? Perhaps, but that did not matter now; what mattered was the inexplicably beautiful elf trapped between him and the table, who whispered to him just how she wanted him. This prompted a sly grin from his thin lips, grey eyes glimmering with a fierce glow of tilitation. "Can do, love," was his simple answer, needing no more words to convey and infer what he would set his eyes on next.
Shaky breaths, husky voice, eyes alight with a desire that was unmatched by any, all the unforgettable features on Ari's beautiful face spurred him into action, and her dove in for a kiss again, like a lion leaping for prey, demanding and unrelenting. He himself let out quiet moans that might've very well been growls, hands gripping those soft, delectable things and pulling them apart, edging closer to her until their bodies practically melded together. His lips trailed down the side of her cheeks after he broke apart from her lips, peppering wet kisses down her face, jaw and the side of her neck, every single touch affectionate and fueled by a fire that would not be quenched. An arm snaked around her waist, pulling her close and making her arch her back, while its twin trailed along the warm inner side of her leg and slipped beneath the hem of the bunched-up robes, finding the undergarment that proved the only barrier between him and his destination.
Finding the skin on the side of her neck, near her shoulder, Cayden bit down and suckled in, tasting the natural sweetness of her mingled with the saltiness of sweat from having worked in a hot, enclosed space for so long. He made sure to leave a mark where his teeth were, bruises and broken blood vessels serving as symbols of their forbidden love, and moved on to her collarbone where he made the second bite. The finger beneath her robes found the elastic band of her panties, playing with it and pulling on it gently, letting it snap back with a grin. Two digits to start his descent, and he trailed them lightly over her lower lips over her panties, feeling the heat and dampness of her arousal through the fabric. "Quite excited, are we?" he murmured dryly against her neck, giving her a playful lick along the side, going up to her earlobe.
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As Cayd agreed to her whispered request, descending upon her with barely concealed need, Ari responded in kind as their lips met again, the kiss hungry. She exhaled softly through her nose, the sound a soft and contented sigh, though in the next moment a quiet, muffled moan bubbled softly in her throat as Cayd's hands purposefully pulled apart her pale thighs. She wondered if he felt a similar feeling to hers - having had so many intimate moments that were hurriedly, or in actuality could barely even be considered intimate at all, did he also feel nervous energy course through his veins, as if his mind and body were itching to move faster, even in spite of the fact they knew they could take things slower tonight. Ari's hands trembled where they rested on this lower abdomen, a byproduct of this nervous energy but simply her arousal, too. Oh, she certainly wasn't complaining, by any stretch of the word; in fact, she was glad he was able to take his time, peppering her soft skin with kisses, trailing his lips down to the side of her neck. Less fumbling, less hurried actions, more time to love each other. And that was all she wanted in the world, really.
One of her hands abandoned playing with the fastening of his breeches - for now at least, though the other stayed there, idly trailing her fingers - to drop lower, brushing against the evidence of his arousal, as if by accident. Just then, Cayd's lips, having drifted to the pale skin of her shoulder opened, and his teeth took the skin between them, biting down with the care he would always show her. And yet, the way Ara could tell he was suckling at her skin, the pressure of that combination, there would likely be a mark there, though she wouldn't know how large or obvious it was for a little while. Her own lips, which had been parted after his own had moved away, had been kept moist by the tip of her tongue, and when Cayd had bitten down on her shoulder, a slightly hitched exhale escaped from them. He did it a second time, and along with the slow, sly movement his hand made towards her sex, Ari couldn't help but squirm pleasurably beneath him, feeling a coil of warmth pool in her lower belly in anticipation.
In playful retaliation, her own hand cupped his manhood, simply savouring the way she could feel him grow harder and almost pulse in her grasp, and her lips curved into a grin as Cayd;s fingers rubbed along the fabric of her underwear. The both of them could now not deny how much arousal the other was feeling, and Ari's hips pushed upwards against his hand, though she knew he needed so such encouragement. "I just can't stop thinking about lemon bread rolls," Aria whispered, clearly holding back a laugh, before affecting a sensual voice for her next words, almost like a purr: "Mm... lemon bread rolls."
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Nothing quite like the sound of his lover sensually purring 'lemon bread rolls' to pull a man out of his lustful haze. A snort escaped against her neck as he held back a laugh, trying not to break into hysterics and give Aria the satisfaction. "Custard pudding... sticky toffee cake... chocolate mousse." The redhead might be the mage and the coyer of the two, but Cayden's tongue was as sharp as his sword, which she could probably attest to in more ways than one. He too had to exert almost all his self-restraint to stifle his laughter, though it too was a blessing, to be able to laugh even when they were getting hot and bothered. "But none taste as good as you," he cooed smoothly, his warm breath brushing against her ear, which afterwards he gave a soft kiss. The small, delicate fingers around his manhood felt familiar, and he felt it twitch in her grasp with longing for her touch, aching to be free of its confines. A pleasured sigh slipped past his lips to mirror her hitched breaths and quiet hums-- their arousal and pleasure feeding into each other in an unending cycle.
His own digits trailed lazily along her core, resisting the urge to push her down and go straight to the main course, mentally reminding himself to enjoy the appetizers. And quite delicious it was, feeling her squirm in pleasure at his touch, feeling her push forward against him, laying herself bare on the table for him to take. Step by step he ramped up the pressure, his touches growing more salacious and bold with each passing moment. The hand on her waist slid to the front, palming her breasts through the robes and gently cupping them, squeezing them, caressing them, worshipping them as he should. "Can I?" he whispered, rising back to face her, as his fingers started to pull at her panties to peel them away, though deep down, he knew he didn't need permission or some such. He still made a point of asking though, loving the way she gave into him verbally as well as physically and mentally.
"You can actually reach in and touch it, you know? It's not going to bite you or anything," he suggested with a lopsided grin, gesturing down to where she held his member through his breeches, in no small part because he longed for her touch so much it was starting to become painful. Cayd gave as good as he got, of course, and he wasted no time in exploring once her panties came off, pulled to the middle of her thighs where it would stay, not even bothering to remove it fully. Despite his consuming desire that hounded at him to dive into her, he took his time pleasuring her, brushing lightly over the soft ginger bush he loved so much, trailing across her inner thighs, teasing the outer lips of her labia, letting her stew for a bit as he purposefully danced around where he would do the most good.
gpt
Cayd's reaction was everything she could have hoped for when she teased him, feeling the laugh he tried to keep back in the way that he held himself against her. She loved him, more than anything, and it was little moment such as this, where their humor collided, leaving them softly giggling with one another. It was certainly a byproduct of their closeness from such a young age, growing and learning about each other's little intricacies and being able to fill the spaces in their lives with little else but themselves. Case in point when Cayd rejoined her joking remarks with his own, before slipping very smoothly into flattering words, the tone of his voice whenever he did so always causing her body to shiver. She wanted to make a follow-up remark - Ari hated when she couldn't get the last word in - but his soft, probing fingers all but took her breath away, her grey eyes fluttering closed, taking a moment as if to collect her thoughts again.
As her eyes opened, they fixed upon his face, taking in every part of it as if she had never seen it before. It was a face that she knew would never leave her. One day, her red hair would be a thing of the past, white and brittle. Her fingers so gnarled and stiff that apprentices would have to turn the pages of her books for her. But even then, Cayd's face would never leave her. And she liked to think that it was even just a little like the same for him.Maker... I love this man. His voice was quiet, mirroring how his fingers continued to drift close to her sex through her panties, as he asked for permission as he always did. And Aria, her eyes slightly narrowed with need, whispered a breathy assent, before her lips pressed shut to conceal the moan that threatened to break free as his other hand, curling around and enjoying her breasts, brushed past a sensitive nipple through the thin fabric.
Taking a moment to steady her breathing, which was shaky at best and in danger of becoming shallow as his fingers began their deft task in removing her troublesome underwear and exposing her sex to him, which would, as always, welcome him, Aria couldn't help but roll her eyes lightly at his comment, as he gestured with his head to where one of her own hands was also very busy. "Iknow," she said, her voice dry, and for emphasis, gave him a soft squeeze. Her hand was starting to tremble in earnest, though, as Cayd's digits seemed to almost purposefully ignore the part of her that needed them the most. She would have to undo his breeches soon, or her hand would be too shaky to even make a decent attempt on it, leaving Cayd to do it for her. And that wouldn't be satisfactory, as he'd have to pull his hands away from her needy body to do it. "And I don't bite, either," she said, hips again pushing up against his fingers with clear need. "Unless you want me to," she finished, before finally doing away with teasing him - for now, at least - and undoing the top of his breeches for easier access to his manhood. Her soft, smooth fingertips reached in, first curling around the base of his cock, and her lips curved into a smile at the very feel of him. Slowly, the rest of her fingers grasped a hold of him, sliding along his length, torturously slowly. And then they reached the tip, where her thumb deftly flicked over the head of his length. Through this, her eyes remained fixed on him.
human
A taste of his own medicine perhaps, feeling Aria's skillful fingers trail along his manhood with an excruciatingly slow pace, which practically jumped at the attention. The little flick over the head sent Cayden's eyes fluttering and lips open in a gasp, the pleasure too sudden to dampen his reactions. And she knewexactlywhat she was doing, because when he reopened his eyes he saw her beautiful face staring at him with a fixation. Cayd let out a bashful laugh, keenly aware of how exposed and vulnerable he was being with her, like he would be with no one else. In those greys eyes burning into his face, he saw an undying affection, one that transcended race and status, and truly even life itself. To quote some of the smutty novels Ari was so critical of, 'he felt his heart jump and butterflies flying in his stomach'. They'd been through so much together already in their young lives, and would go through so much more. Sneaking her snacks from the Chantry Kitchen on nights she missed dinner when they were but teeny children. Holding her whenever she felt like the world would cave in, when they were teens and the world inside the enclosed tower felt so imposing and fearsome. It still did, on some days. But as long as he could gaze into those mesmerizing eyes, Cayden knew they could enduring through whatever comes next-- her Harrowing, when he would be inevitably called away to carry forth the Maker's will. He doubted he could ever find someone else he cared about as much as Aria, or one who cared for him as much as she did. Well, perhaps until the day they bring their children into the world, he supposed. Cute baby names could be an interesting topic in its own right, he mused as he lazily dragged his fingers across her bush. Who would they name them after, their closest friends? Surana and Cullen?
"I never said you couldn't," he teased back breathily, his eyes flicking to where he'd marked her moments prior, a smug smile plastered on his lips, obviously satisfied with his handiwork. "It's only fair, right?" True to his words, in retaliation for her torturous treatment of his cock, which was almost at full mast and aching, by the way, he pressed against her slick lips without warning and slid his fingers along her sex, flicking at her little bud hidden in its hood at the very end. Just like her, his grey orbs were fixed solely on her face, her gorgeous iridescent face, eager to see the little hints of pleasure and the way she would try to conceal them. They couldn't be very vocal, after all, they were supposed to be quiet in libraries by default. He was no saint with infinite patience however, and having had enough of the teasing foreplay to the foreplay, he brought middle and index fingers to her entrance and slowly pushed them in, reveling in the familiar way her walls stretched to accommodate him. She felt familiar and warm and tight inside, and so intricately familiar with her body he was, Cayd knew exactly what to do to bring her pleasure.
Pushing in and curling upwards, trying to find the little spot that would send her over the moon, while his thumb gently circled around her clit, rolling it around and pressing against it, never so rough as to hurt her."The clit is like the back o' yer hand", he remembered one of his Templar brothers said one late night in the barracks."Go too rough on it, and she won't feel a thing."And Cayd has strictly followed that ideology ever since. He was slow and methodical, yet sensual in his movements, his personality of a cool, calm strategist bleeding into his sexual exploits. He was less subtle with his own needs, and gently moved his hips along with her strokes to get the most out of every touch, growing bit by bit in her very hands. A lewd, wet sound began to reverberate in the stark silence, and the young man couldn't help himself but crack a little smile, and kissed his lover passionately in an attempt to halt any embarrassed swatting his chest may receive.
gpt
His reaction to her hand's antics was exactly what she had expected and hoped for. That sharp, sudden gasp, eyes springing open, meeting with hers. She couldn't help but grin knowingly at him, the expression on his face and the soft, bashful laugh he gave serving to only further endear him to her. And besides that, knowing that such a simple movement from her hand made him react so subtly strongly made her feel powerful. And it was rare she felt powerful. She was, after all, a mage, and though able to command a decent amount of herbal knowledge and several spells, it wasn't as if she could do anything with that knowledge. She couldn't leave the Tower, she couldn't directly stand up against certain abuses the Templars felt they were privileged to dish out. There was the ever-looming threat of her Harrowing, which she only knew would happenat some point, something she knew Cayden feared as much as she did - the consequences of her failure in the Fade would be severe. Possession? Death? Neither were attractive opportunities, though at least in those cases what used to be Aria would be Aria no longer. What really scared her was the idea of becoming Tranquil. If a mage survived their Harrowing, Chantry law forbade them from being made Tranquil, but... some of Cayd's 'brothers' were sadistic and cruel, and she wouldn't put it past at least a handful of them to spread word of an innocent mage being deemed too dangerous to live, un-Tranquil, in the Circle. Living with her memories of Cayd, but with no emotions, no feelings, no thoughts of her own - no, she'd prefer death. And it would break Cayd's heart.
So. In this moment, Aria felt powerful knowing she was able to elicit such reactions from her lover, though she knew full well he could just as easily turn the tables and bring her to near mind-numbing ecstasy. That thought was proven correct the moment Cayd slipped his fingers along her eagerly waiting sex without so much as a warning, causing Ari's breath to hitch in her throat. It really was a shame that they barely got to spend so much time together like this; Cayd was a smooth, proficient lover, and yet much of their intimacy was rushed and fumbled groping behind closet doors. And they had learned the necessity behind staying quiet, too.
A sigh left her lips, shaky, as Cayd's fingers continued to explore her as if for the first time. Her own hand, which had stopped teasing him momentarily, resumed it's important work - namely stroking his length, trying to keep a rhythm going. It was hard though, especially when Cayd's thumb circled her clit, pressing softly against that sensitive little nub. Ari's body trembled, hips pushing upwards into his hand greedily. It mirrored the movements of his own hips, the two of them clearly eager for the other, and that fact caused a shockwave of need to course through her body, her breath catching in her throat. "Cayd..." she whispered in the space between their faces, before his lips captured hers, the kiss warm and passionate. Her moist lips opened under his and her tongue slipped forwards, seeking his to wrestle and dance with.
human
The little knowing smirk she gave him as she mercilessly teased him was endearing, the only thing that could wash away the worries and troubles that plagued these haunting tower walls. Of course, he knew that Aria would have the harder life out of the two of them, but Cayden had his own demons to tend to. He wasn't exactly popular among the Templars sure, he was best friends with Cullen and some others he grew up with, but some of the older members of the order sniffed their noses at him. Perhaps it was his noble bloodline, carrying the name Amberstern and the sigil of the stag, though no one really knew that outside of his friends and Aria. Lord Cayden Amberstern would be his offical title were he not given to the Chantry, as he was the firstborn of his parents. It prompted endless eyerolls from him whenever Aria mockingly referred to as a lord, having abandoned any hopes of returning to that life long ago when he was just a child. Another reason could also be that he was friendly to the mages, perhaps a tad more than he needed to be. It was no revelation that Mages and Templars weren't really the best of friends, and both sides lobbed insults at each other frequently enough, but he's seen some of his brothers do some terrible things to the mages that left him with troubled thoughts and sleepless nights. Aria received a terrible amount of abuse as well, and it took Cayden all his restraint not to speak out and defend her whenever she was being shoved around and called a knife-ear and had crass suggestive comments thrown at her.
Even if he couldn't fully protect her in public, he could make her feel like a goddamned princess in private. Not a princess even, a queen. His Queen, specifically, and he would spend an enternity bowing to her whims if he could. And that included giving the elven beauty exactly what she wanted when she was practically humping his hands in hazy lust, and that was exactly what he did. He delighted in the way her whole body trembled and her breath hitched with every touch, how she had trouble even keeping up with playing with his member, and the way she met his kiss eagerly with her moist, delectable lips. Sweet and pure, sensual and alluring, she was everything great about his life complied into one adorable package, and he loved her so much he could bundle her up and lock her away safely in his chest.
"Ari..." he whispered agaisnt her pink, pouty lips, his voice shallow and raspy, feeling every inch of his manhood being pleasured by her hand, needy and desperate for her. A playful grin on his face, he broked apart from the kiss and leaned back, a bridge of saliva connecting their lips before it snapped, and with a look of sheer rakish sensuality, he dragged his fingers embedded deep in her sex and brought them to his lips, popping them in one by one and sucking her juices off them as if it were the most delicious thing he had ever tasted. She tasted wonderful if he had to describe it in culinary terms, sweet and savory with a hint of tanginess. Not sure if she'd appreciate the description though, so he went with a more appropriate answer. "Mm... much better than lemon bread rolls," he said, giving her the most cheekiest of winks as he tasted her arousal.
gpt
Every time he said her name - whether it was in exasperation, teasing, or lust-filled - it made her feel whole, alive, loved. Complete. As complete as she could possible expect to feel, shut away in the Circle. But if she was with Cayden, she could get through it. Without him, she didn't know what she would be. Just another knife-eared mage bitch. In his arms, lips on hers, hands on, over, in her body. She was his. Hearing the love and lust in his voice made her chest constrict around her heart, her fingers tremble around his length, and when he pulled away ever so slowly from the kiss - causing Ari to whimper softly - her eyes opened to meet his. Ari was fascinated by how the low light in the library danced in his eyes, as if in those grey orbs she could see the constellations she had only read about in books. She barely even registered the removal of his fingers from her core, thought he certainly had her attention when he lifted those same fingers to his mouth. Aria watched, her pink lips parted as her trembling breath escaped from between them, as his own mouth opened to envelope his moist fingers individually. The mage felt her throat go dry, and had to swallow audibly as she watched her lover taste her, although his callback comment about lemon bread rolls - their new joke, it seemed - surprised a laugh out of her stupor.
Finding her voice, eyes alight, she saidsotto voce: "Menace.Menace!" Aria certainly wasn't complaining, however; it was another way Cayd continually showed how he loved and appreciated her - every inch of her. Her lips curled up into a smile, almost a smirk, her own hand softly giving his length a squeeze before continuing the slow, teasing strokes, relishing the way with each movement, she could feel his cock twitching with need in her very grasp. "Menace," she repeated as her free hand lifted to cup his face, the palm of her smooth hands and thumb caressing over the light stubble on his face. "But you're my menace." And saying that, she gently encouraged him to lean his face back down to hers, lifting her head somewhat and meeting him halfway. The kiss, at first, started chaste - just a meeting of soft lips. But Ari could feel her heart racing through her chest, the blood pumping rapidly through her stomach, her fingertips, even down to her legs and toes, where those small digits couldn't help but curl as a rush of need crashed into her body. The kiss became hungry and almost desperate, more akin to their usual trysts, her mouth opening beneath his whilst her tongue forced its way into his, seeking out his tongue to dance and dominate. Ari's hand, the one cupping Cayd's face, slid up and into his hair, where her fingers coiled around the dark strands; the other, still very much occupied with stroking him, sped up - she wanted to feel him twitch and pulse within her hand, to feel the way he held himself against her change as his need for release would inevitably grow, and to hear what groans and gasped would escape from his throat.
human
A menace, she called him, and a menace he was. "Your menace," he reaffirmed gently, taking the cue to lean down and meet her for another kiss, the fourth in an endless sea of kisses to come. Her eyes were alight with excitement as he leaned in close, and it only served to further heighten the torrent of emotions crashing through him. The little squeeze on his member had profound effects on his body and overworked mind, and the young Templar let out a hitched breath and a groan as she coaxed him further along the string of arousal, a healthy amount of translucent pre-cum already coating her fingers and lubricating as she worked him over and over in his breeches. She was going faster now, faster than he could pace himself, and he could already feel something coiling and turning deep inside him, his body trembling as it prepared for the inevitable. Her fingers snaked into his hair, her tongue forced its way into his mouth, and he was only too happy to accept them and return the favour with rigorous attention. His own tongue met hers in the hot arena of their mouths, dancing and wrestling, pushing and pulling and twirling, intent on kissing her into submission but never quite achieving total victory.
Meanwhile, his hand continued to roam over her ample chest, feeling her breasts through the soft fabric of her robes like he had done so many times before, unable to take the time to properly explore their bodies. In a way, their shows of affection were becoming more urgent and aggressive, sliding back into their natural comforts, and Cayd sailed where the wind blew, snaking back down to between her legs to properly finger fuck her as they waged war with their tongues above. "Ari... I" He began against her lips, urgent and needy, but he was cut off by another sudden squeeze on his manhood that almost damn near sent him over the edge. "Ari, I need you," he whispered, leaning forward forcefully and amping up all fronts of pleasure he worked on her body. His tongue swirled over hers, his fingers sliding in and out while his thumb played with her ginger bush and her clit, his hands cupping her breasts and cupping the sensitive little nipple between his fingers.
His advances were both a demand and a plea, and if she would consent, he would use his free hand to hastily undo his breeches fully and let them crumple to the ground, freeing his manhood and giving it some much needed breathing room, and would also peel away her underwear until it was hanging by an ankle, fully intent on spreading her legs open on the table and having his way with her. A mental note of apology was sent to whoever would be studying on this table tomorrow. Cayden held alaissez-faireattitude to most things in life, but never when it came to Aria. He needed her, and he needed hernow.
gpt
Aria was immediately validated at Cayd's very physical responses to her hand's machinations, once again the feeling of power rushed through her; the groan that extended forth from his throat, combined with the presence of pre-cum already leaking from the tip of his cock and causing her hand to slide along his length in a slicker motion - all of this would have confirmed how physically attractive she was to him, and how able she was to bring him into a state of pure arousal... if she hadn't already been well aware. In their deep, passionate kiss, she could feel his need for her with every coil and press of his tongue, which was almost desperately trying to subdue her own, and failing, yet in the best possible way.
Beneath the touch of his calloused hands, her supple breasts quivered, and each time his palms brushed against her nipples between the fabric, a soft gasp slipped from her throat and into his mouth, getting lost amidst the dancing of their tongues; the gasps evolved into shaky whimpers as Cayd slipped his fingers back into her inner depth with increased speed. Ari's hips squirmed from side to side, practically turning into mush beneath him. He pulled back a little, the two of them left panting in the scant space between their faces, and spoke soft words to her that mirrored the need she felt for him. They hung in the air for a few seconds as Aria tried to catch her breath, chest rising and falling rapidly underneath his touch. "My love..." she started, grey eyes staring at up at Cayden, lidded with pure need, her pale skin flushed across the cheeks that clashed spectacularly with her red tresses. She continued, voice soft, loving. "My love, if you need me... you can have me." The anticipation rocketed through her body like a shock spell; her hand, somewhat reluctantly, let go of Cayd's length, but not before sliding her thumb over the very tip, and instead moving to press against his lower abdomen, where she could feel his muscles jump and tense as his own desire urged his body's actions.
human
Words were never truly necessary between the two of them, and it was the case this time as well. Ari's half-lidded bedroom eyes and the gaze of pure desire she held in them answered his question long before her lips did, but Cayd still enjoyed the vocalisation of it. Her voice was another of the endless things he loved about her, and he would hear her telling him to take her every single day if he could. There was no overreaction from the templar, her assent having been assured long before they stepped into this library together. He only cracked a sly grin and a drawled "Noted," being more concerned with more pressing, physical matters, like getting their clothes out of the way. He did clamp his mouth shut at the way she teased his tip, sealing the groan in his mouth before it could escape, and that was the end of that it wouldn't be exciting to lay out all the cards before had even started now, would it?
Heart hammering in his chest, fingers warm from her body but cold with nervousness, he gently parted her legs after he'd removed her panties, exercising all of his self-restraint not to rush like they so often had to. Pulling up her thighs and pulling them towards him so that she was more accessible, and also allow her to hook her legs around him if she so wished. Taking a moment to steady himself, he aligned the tip of his member with her slick, wet entrance, never losing eye contact with his lover. He wanted to see every little gasp and moan and flutter she let through, and he wanted her to see everything he had to give. Memories of their first night together came rushing back; he'd felt nervous then, a lot more than he felt now, but it was a wonderful memory that lived on in both their minds, equally captivating and awkwardly endearing in all the right ways. Back then, they'd had to hide away the bloody evidence of their lost innocence before Aria's friends and mentors could find out what happened. It probably wouldn't be the case now, the both of them having acclimated to each other's bodies, but it was still a tight fit down there, so he took his time to make it enjoyable for the both of them.
Slow and steady was his method, sliding inside her with a care and familiarity thatcould onlyne achieved through years of friendship and courtship. She felt familiar, tight, yet exotically pleasurable in a way, and he groaned quietly and let out ragged breaths as he felt her walls stretching to accommodate him, the tight vice of her walls almost milking him dry with the very first contraction. "You... you feel amazing, love," he whispered, hands around her waist and holding her close as he bottomed out on her, until there was no more space between their bodies again, except this time they were connected in a new way entirely. His pale face was red with exertion, but youthful as ever, eyes shining glazed with both pleasure and love for the woman, and he leaned in close until their foreheads could touch, gazing deep into those greys. "I feel like I've gotten better at this," he jested in a whisper, a lopsided smile upon his lips as he started moving slowly, having given her some time to adjust to his intrusion. "I'm no longer making a fool of myself trying to undress you. I just yank your bottoms out of the way."
gpt
Ari's lips moved to mirror Cayd's own sly smile, her hand now moving away from his length for him to better move himself into position in a short while, and the sly grin only widened somewhat as his lips pressed together to prevent some sort of noise from escaping in the small space between their faces. The varied kinds of sounds that would typically leave his lips during intimate moments were one of the many things she looked forward to during each tryst, not in the least because circumstances typically forced them to be rather silent. It was a mixture of that power she loved having over him, and seeing him so relatively vulnerable, physically, when he generally had to be stoic, always made her legs feel weak. Her lips parted a little, tongue sliding out to moisten them, eyes still fixed upon him as he got to work in removing her panties and parting her thighs, exposing the most secret part of her body - and it was all for him. As his body moved closer to her, Cayd's cock pressing up against the entrance of her sex, her legs lifted and wrapped possessively around him as if locking him in place.
Cayd, almost torturously slowly, slid him member between the entrance of her warm, needy sex; a gasp, trembling and weak, slipped from her mouth, followed by a soft, nearly inaudible chuckle. It was a little strange for their love-making to be slow, exploratory, and it reminded her somewhat of their first time, the first time they had actually been able to sleep with one another; they were young and of course inexperienced, and up until that point their intimacy had been consisted of brief kisses (heads bumping included), and the occasional groping and fumbling in which they grabbed at each other with hungry abandon. But that first night, Cayden had been entirely endearing - he wanted it to be special, like the erotic novels Aria was not keen on, and it had been. Awkward, yes, but given their inexperience that would have been a given. And he hadn't hurt her, and hadn't since, not withstanding the carefully administered bites and nips on her soft, pale skin.
Being reminded of their first time together, her skin erupted into gooseflesh against him, her lower body in a state of heightened awareness as his cock moved further into her depths, the walls tightening around him subconsciously and providing the two of them already so much pleasure. "Mm," Aria agreed, voice soft and silky and amused, her hips starting to gently roll against Cayd's, the movements subconsciously aligned. "You definitely have, sweetheart. Though-" she paused, a sharp gasp stopping the word in her throat, and she had to take a moment to gather her thoughts again. "I loved those times, too... we were both so unsure, and you wanted to make every moment special." Their faces were so close together now she fancied she could see every line of colour in his shining eyes, and she bumped her nose against his in a sort of callback to previous encounters. "Though I'm not complaining about you just getting right down to business, either." That was of course true, although she often wished they had enough time and space to be able to make love like the average person - the average person not locked up in a Tower and on opposite sides of social expectations, perhaps more like a husband and wife on a farmstead somewhere who owned three goats and five chickens. Yet she also tried not to think about that too much. It could be...depressing. Aria's eyes closed, composing not only her breath but her thoughts as well. Cayd was knowledgeable enough of her expressions and perceptive enough to notice the change in them, and this was not the time to bring it down in any way. So, after taking a moment, she opened her grey eyes again, sparkling up at him and lidded with need.
human
How is it that a single woman was able to send his walls crumbling down with a look and a smile? To most others, Cayden was a stoic, guarded man, just as his brothers were. He was forced to be, unable to show emotion or empathy, least of all the very mages they guarded, so that he was just one more faceless Templar under the Chantry's command. It was exhausting, frankly, but even then he did not show his true colors, his true skin to just about anyone. Not his brothers with whom he shared the barracks, not his family who had forsaken him, no one. Only Aria ever got to see him cry, laugh, anger, and in moments of pleasure like these, shiver and tremble with need for her. Then again, Aria was no ordinary woman, was she? For him, at least, she was the perfect woman anyone could ever ask for. Gorgeous physical beauty aside, flaming red hair and the face of an angel, she also held a heart of gold that radiated with purity. A heart she had thrust into his hands so trustfully, just as she completely owned his. As he told her just before their precious first time, "You're beautiful. You're kind. And you're mine."
And it did them both good that he went slow and steady, it seems, because a symphony of quiet moans and gasps flowed from Ari's lips like water from a fountain, gooseflesh blooming all across her skin as he made the slow,slow descent into her depths. Same as her, it filled him with a sense of power to see her become a trembling mess at the barest of touches, knowing he would be the only one who ever holds this much sway over her, mind, body, and soul. "Hey, I still make every moment special," he shot back with some good-natured cockiness, having a bit of trouble keeping his voice neutral amidst every intense contraction her slick walls took against him. Sometimes, they got right down to business, and other times, they took their sweet time-- but every moment Cayd tried to keep special, endearing, memorable in some way. Never would he think of taking their time together for granted; they had so little of it already.
And despite the scarcity of contact between them, their shared bond was not skin-deep. No, it went much deeper than that, to the very core of their person. It was only a split-second, but the young templar caught the little dip in the mage's disposition, the way her eyes dulled and her shoulders sagged. She was thinking of the future again, of a farmstead with three goats and five chickens, and the bitter reality that they might never even get to that point. She waved them away with a squeeze of her eyes, but Cayd read Ari like she reads a book. Soft as silk, he trailed the back of his hand along her cheeks, gently squeezing it between his fingers even, and gave her a kiss on her forehead, wiping the thin sheen of sweat that had formed. "Do not feel sad, Ari," he whispered against her skin as he continued the roll of his hips, sliding into her, picking up the pace with every forward thrust. "I am still here... we will not be losing each other any time soon, hm?" The thoughts of her impending Harrowing invaded his mind just as he said these words, but he forced them away with a fury, thinking along the same lines as his lover. This was no time to dwell on depressing matters.
No, they would spend their precious time together looking forward to the sun, not the shadows that awaited just a few steps away.
Besides, were they not doing what normal couples did? Kissing and talking and laughing while they made love on a (burnt) table. Moments of the ordinary within their extraordinary romance. "Will you be able to sneak away again after your examination? I already know you will obliterate the competition... that deserves a celebration, yes? And... we also have some things we should discuss soon."
gpt
As she had expected, Cayd had noticed her faint dip emotion - she wished it hadn't been so noticeable, and yet wasn't surprised. They were of course physically close enough that simple changes of posture or expression were very likely to be noticed, but it went deeper than that. There had been times, she fancied, where they had been on opposite sides of a room, or with several metres of hallway between them, and she had been able to pick up his emotions just by perceiving he was nearby. Maybe that was a little fanciful, maybe it was just the general aura of the Circle that made emotions and thoughts a little more pervasive, but the two of them certainly did have a closeness that was unlikely to be rivalled. From a young age, they had become very quickly aligned with each other; Aria being the quick wit that could make Cayd be less serious and laugh at himself when he needed it, and Cayden tempering Ari's propensity for mischief and helping her act maturely when she needed it.
The back of Cayd's hand trailed along her cheek, the gesture soft, loving, reassuring; chaste too, unlike the way his hips continued to roll forwards into her. Her body felt warm, skin erupting in prickly goosebumps as each sound of pleasure left the couple's mouths. The pace of their hips increased, as the pure physical need between them started to rise and urge their bodies forwards into gaining and experiencing shared pleasure of each other. Ari titled her head just a little, pressing her face against the back of his hand and nuzzling, like a small animal would do when seeking affection. Her thoughts mirrored his somewhat as he spoke, his voice but a whisper. They were together, now and always, that was plainly true - until her Harrowing, in which only one of the potential outcomes meant they would be able to continue like this. But this was not something to dwell on now. She would try not to, at least.
Ari possessed his lips for a short, charged kiss, before Cayd spoke to her again. She answered him with a smile and spoke, her voice tremulous with need and exertion. "You have a very high opinion of my skill," she said, laughingly. She felt confident about the examination herself, though not overmuch so; still, she had no reason to believe she might fail at it, and any sort of celebration that Cayd had in mind would be worth the price of success in itself. Though at his mention of things they had to discuss, the humour left her eyes a little, replaced with a very faint confusion. She wondered if it was the Harrowing; she would have asked him, if it were anything else, but she would not, could not, say that word into the space between them. For her part, it would drain all of her desire from her, and it was bad enough that she was even giving it space in her head in this intimate moment. It made sense, though, that at some point they wouldhaveto talk about it. The event itself was terrifying enough - worse knowing she could be ripped away from Cayd should it end badly. Andraste's tits! Why had she been born a mage? Why couldn't the two of them have been born to, and as, normal, decent, hard-working folk! No pressure to be stoic and faceless, no pressure to ward off the constant threat of demons!
Ari's arms reflexively tightened around Cayden, as if keeping him fully in place, as she fought for her mind to be done with thinking about the Harrowing, and when she turned her gaze back up at him, neither her voice nor her expression were as jokingly arranged as she was trying for them to be. "If the things we need to discuss that you are alluding to do not include plans to grow wings and fly up out of the Tower, I shall be displeased."
human
Just as Ari drew a sense of power and strength from the sounds of physical pleasure she could coax out from him, Cayden also felt powerful and loved and needed whenever she pressed into him like he was the only thing she would ever need. The subtle way in which he nuzzled into his hand, cute as a kitty, and the way she laughed eagerly and leaned up to kiss and wrap around him, made him feel as large as a giant, filled with the sole desire to love and cherish and protect this precious woman. To serve and protect the poor and needy that was the mandate all Templars lived by, but Cayden could not imagine anyone else he would more willingly serve and protect than the woman he was making love to, looking up at him with eyes of adoration and a smile that just screamed contention to be with him.
"Of course I do. You are the only one who had managed to set a table on fire three times in one night," he said jokingly with some difficulty, soft groans of pleasure escaping him every now and then as he began to feel a forceful presssure building inside of his stomach, a gathering storm soon to come. His raven locks were dishevelled and fell across his face, his clothes were misshapen from where Ari tugged at him, but he could not have looked more alive and energized as when he made those urgent thrusts into her. "Besides," he began, grabbing the legs that wrapped around his waist, getting closer than he already was to her, wanting no amount of heat or whispered pleas to escape between them. "I would be a terrible lover if I did not believe in you."
The young Templar sealed off the conversation with another loving kiss, taken as they both moaned in pleasure while their tongues tangled and danced. Perhaps he was a bit tactless in mentioning external affairs in such an intimate special moment like this, but he still had to mention it at some point. He did not mention what exactly they needed to discuss, and he did not provide any further details, but it was obvious Ari was thinking what he was thinking; or at least, something as dreadful and terrifying as her Harrowing. Almost instinctively, he squeezed her thighs, and leaned in closer as she wrapped her arms around his neck, as if letting her know he was there with him. He loathed to think of the terrible things that could come off of her Harrowing what if she fails in the Fade? What if she returns to her body, only to be replaced by something that wasn't Aria? What if the Templars deem her dangerous and... No. With a force of will reminiscent of the warriors in chantry scripture, he forced the thoughts out of his mind, knowing he would only be burdening her more with every uttered complaint of his worries.
And Ari must have realized the same, because her quip was a humorous as one could be during their usual friendly banter, but even she could not inject as much enthusiasm into her words. "You are the mage with the fancy magic staff and fancy magic hands. I am just a regular templar who has to take Lyrium just to achieve a fraction of your power. If anyone is sprouting wings and flying out of the Tower, it should be you." Cayden, too, had a hint of melancholy to his tone, a forced sort of humour, but he was better at hiding his opinions from his face and demeanor. He had to be, when the Templars were essentially soldiers. "If you do manage to sprout wings, perhaps you can take me to Denerim to see the capital. Or perhaps Redcliffe to see how ordinary people live their lives." Ordinary people with their three goats and five chickens, making love while talking and kissing, never having to worry about demons or abominations, no obligation to be stoic and faceless.
Leaning in to bump his nose against hers, Cayd closed his eyes shut as he felt the pleasure beginning to overtake him, his mind shifting back as his body began to move of its own accord, his movements now rapid and unrelenting as he well and thoroughly fucked Aria. The lewd, wet sounds of flesh meeting flesh rang out across the library, and he whispered in a desperate plea, "I-I think I'm close, love."
gpt
At Cayd's humorous comment that alluded to her 'talent' of burning the table they were currently rutting against, she tried to lift a hand to swat against his chest as playfully as she normally would, but it was clear she wasn't the only one feeling the pleasurable effects of their love-making. What little force she had put behind her hand to hit him faded away as a coil of desire seemed to burst through every nerve ending in her lithe, trembling body, and the hand instead, rather weakly, tapped against his chest and just rested their, where her fingers curled against the rough, brown fabric of his undershirt. She had been on the verge of some kind of exasperated reproof - possibly another"menace", but his lips closed over hers before she could form the word. Not that she would complain, of course, and Ari eagerly returned the kiss, the passion and need that was always between them rising and rising - if the way Cayd's tongue sought her own out, and the way he grasped her thighs, which were covered in a sheen of sweat.
The kiss was over soon, too soon for Ari's liking, though she also relished those moments when their faces weren't as close together, so that she could see his expression change, eyes become lidded, cheeks reddening with his exertion. Cayden was more expressive with her than he was with anyone else; spending most of his life as a faceless, emotionless soldier, stoic and silent... there were times, very rarely, where she wondered what he would have been like had he not been given away as a mere baby, if he would have been a proper lordling. Her own life, of course, wouldn't have changed much, if at all. From the moment of her conception she was meant to enter this world as an elven mage - some of the unluckiest odds in Fereldan, and mage children didn't have a chance at hiding and controlling their magic. She would have been found out eventually. But she couldn't imagine having to contain her emotions so strongly - it didn't happen often, thank the Maker, but there had been times where a 'brother' of his thought her ass was his to touch and had grasped it firmly in his clammy hands. At least she had been able to react outwardly, but when she had looked up she saw that Cayd had seen the whole thing; their eyes met and she could see his jaw was set a little more stiff than usual, but little else. Later, when they had been able to catch up, anyone would have thought that Cayd had been to blame entirely for the whole thing, by the way he practically grovelled at her. Ari understood perfectly, however, and had never held Cayden in contempt for his actions or lack thereof, when surrounded by other Templars. She supposed it was a little self-serving of the two of them, in not bringing undue attention to them, to not have anyone suspect they had anything going on other than a passing familiarity. But Aria was more than willing to be selfish if it came to Cayden, in almost every respect.
Except their love-making, however. Occasionally, she would tease him and prolong his pleasure for a short while, though without any malice - and she'd found out that Cayd, too, could give as good as he got. But as Cayd's nose bumped against hers, she could tell his body was reaching that point where it just began to take over, its owner almost entirely lost in desire, and in this moment Aria wasn't inclined to hold out on him, not in the least because she wanted to erase any lingering melancholy from their attempts at humour just now. Ari's own body, erupting in a heat that she could feel emanating from her lover's body also, felt soft and shaky, her lower abdomen feeling pleasurably on fire. Both of her hands dropped, fingers laced together and pressing against her chest as a soft mewling sound started in the base of her throat - over the years, the lovers had quickly learned they usually had to dampen their sounds, especially in moments of release, but for Aria it could sometimes be a hit and a miss. Toes curling, her grey eyes squeezed shut as harshly panted words slipped from her pink lips into the infinitesimal space between their faces; at first she could only manage to say his name several times: "Cayd-... Cayden.Cayd-" The last utterance of his name shut off quickly as it threatened to fill the room around them, her hands immediately pressing against her mouth as the sound, that could only be described as a muffle scream, was now dampened considerably. Cayd would, at this point, be well versed with the rapid arrival of her own orgasm, confirmed by the way her back arched from the table. Even though she knew she wouldn't be able to say his name again without screaming it for anyone who might happen to still be awake and in this part of the Tower to hear, her brain kept repeating it, over and over, heart almost bursting in her chest as a tear escaped from the closed corner of each eye.
human
Words simply died out between them, the crux of their shared pleasure crescendoing to hitherto unseen heights, propelled forward and amplified by the slow, intense lovemaking they were so often unjustly denied of. The dainty little hand that rose up to swat at him only fell to clung at his chest, Ari too apparently lost in the throes of pleasure to form any sensible rebuttal against his quips. Not that Cayden was in any capacity to revel in his small victory of course; his whole body treblemed with need, fingers clenched and jaws set, eyes closed in a blissful haze as his thrust again and again and again and again into her tight wet pussy, lips interlocked with the elf's in a heated, ferocious kiss. When he reopened his eyes, he saw those shining grey eyes, those trembling lips, half open, those rosy cheeks flushed red, every little freckle on them a distant star on the night sky aurora Cayden couldn't have felt more complete. It felt natural, for them to the conjoined in mind, body and souls, two parts to make one whole, as if the the Maker above had paved the way for their star-crossed romance, despite how cruel and unjust the road would be.
She mewled, she bucked, she pushed her hands between them, she called his name out repeatedly, a prayer, a plea and a demand all combined into one. Cayden replied in turn, fingers leaving red lines on her pale thighs, hips rolling expeditiously, groans of lust escaping thin lips, calling out desperately: "Aria... Ari... fuck, Ari" Breaths hitched in his throat, breathing a secondary concern as he felt her walls squeeze around him, trying to milk him for all his worth, a telltale sign of the fast approaching orgasm that would crash down upon both of them like waves upon the shores of the Tower. He would've loved nothing more than to take her hands away from her mouth so she couldn't muffle herself, so that she could scream out to the whole bloody Tower the name of the person who owned her. He would, one day, but right not his attention was demanded elsewhere; namely, his cock, which was edging dangerously close to release. It took all his self-control to hold everything in for a few more precious seconds, enough for Ari to finish first. And sure enough, she did her backs arching off the table and her hips lifting ever so slightly, caught and held up by Cayd's strong hands, her inner walls clenching down on him with a fury that just annihilated any semblance of control he might have fancied.
Cayden shattered into pieces as his own orgasm hit a rolling, uncontrollable tide that washed away all his logical thinking and indeed, any and all thoughts at all. With a final, powerful thrust he embedded himself deep in Aria's pussy, leaving but an infinitesimal space between them as he shot rope after rope of his seed into her, his body trembling with every pleasurable pulse. Was it wise of him to finish inside her, especially considering the circumstances of their relationship? Probably not, but the consequences of their actions were the last thing on his mind as they both rode out their orgasms, holding each other in close comfort, basking in the afterglow of sex. The templar's hand shifted forward so that he was holding her hips, and with a shallow, released breath that he had been holding in for quite a while, Cayden gently nuzzled his nose against Aria's, observing all her beautiful features. He did not want to move at all it would've been so much better if they could lie down like this and doze off. Still, time was still on their side, and he would make the most of it, extensive aftercare included. Smiling tiredly, he gently thumbed away the tears she had shed during their climax, and whispered softly to the wind and her ears, "I love you, Aria Siward."
gpt
The two of them were almost animalistic now in the depths of their need, though there was - and always would be - love and care between them that tempered just how violent their respective orgasms were; Cayd had made a promise to her, even before they'd made love for the first time, that he would ever, ever hurt her, and despite the awkwardness that could be expected during their first time, it was a promise he'd never broken. Tonight would be no different; as their bodies rocked and stiffened against each other, even as his fingers dig into the supple, pale flesh of her thighs, it caused no pain, though she would have been unlikely to have noticed if he had, the waves of her climax rocketing through her body, a veritable barrage of need, pleasure, and love burning through every single inch of her, and somewhere in the last vestiges of her mind that were able to think, she thought it incredibly endearing that he was clearly holding himself back all of his own accord. Though if his own subsequent climax was anything to go by, the way her pussy's muscles tightened around him, holding him there until they were both done, only added to his pleasure.
As the last waves of her orgasm hit her, Ari's body immediately felt heavy, her breath husky and tremulous. Her eyes, though still lidded and misty with the tears she hadn't meant to produce, fixed on Cayd's face, his body stiffening as he buried himself deep within her, his own voice breaking and devolving into groans. Through her sense of lustful daze, her parted lips curved into a smile; and then she felt it, a certain ripplein his body that signalled his release. Despite her hands feeling like blocks of stone, she fought her body's reluctance and lifted them to each side of his face, cupping his cheeks and drawing her soft thumbs over his warm, sweat-slicked skin. For Aria's part, she felt such pure elation and love that her brain spared no thought for the riskiness inherent with him finishing inside of her - it had been a decent while since they'd had the opportunity to take their time loving each other in such a manner, that Ari was almost of a mind to forget they were in the library, so focussed on his face that she was.
And he'd said her full name: not the first time, of course, but it was something mostly relegated to moments like this, and the love, thelovein the way he said it, the way his voice got softer, she might even thinkreverent. In another place, another life, she would have already willingly given up her name and taken his, but she settled for the worship in his voice. Slowly, her breathing began to settle, though her heart was being stubborn and continuing to race, her pulse jumping. "I love you too, Cayden Amberstern. I love you so much, light of my life." Any trace of the melancholy that had been brought to the table - literally - between the two of them was entirely forgotten by Ari, and her face, the cheeks still red, turned familiarly mischievous for just a moment, her voice a whisper that he was meant to hear, even if it was barely audible. "...almost as much as lemon bread rolls."
human
The light of her life. A simple term of endearment perhaps, but to Cayden it signalled something deeper, something more profound than just shallow words. She was his moon as he was her sun, bringing love and laughter into a life that could be so bleak and hopeless. She shone a light of hope on a faceless templar, and in the same way, he supposed, he was the sun whose rays shone through cracks in the wood for a lonely mage trapped in a tower. They rare called each other by their full names; indeed, there was no real need for it Cayden and Aria were enough for the two of them, and so they used them in moments like these, when they were bare and vulnerable. Her name carried memories of a tragedy and injustice in the slums of Denerim, and his the story of two divergent paths at the whim of a parent's choice. Not that it would do them much good to dwell on it. And he didn't need to either she loved him, and he loved her. That alone was more than enough.
Her soft palm felt cool against his warm cheeks, still flushed from the animalistic rut they'd just went through, and he too nuzzled into them affectionately, gazing lazily into her eyes all the while. His senses came back to him slowly, namely the slight ache in his calves and the way his shirt stuck to him with sweat. As Aria uttered a whiper Cayden leaned in, only to pull back laughing out loud, uncharacteristic of someone who'd just nearly fucked someone through a table. "Pfft, and you call me menace," he muttered smilingly, giving her a pinch of her cheeks as punishment for bringing him out of the hazy high of sex. Clarity came next, and as they stood there in silence, connected below their waists, Cayd took the moment to truly appreciate her beauty, gently running his fingers through her crimson locks to brush them out of her face, teasing her little pointed ears that had been the cause of so much hate. Grinning with mischief, he leaned in to lick at the tip of one ear, the one stroked and played with by his fingers.
"Hmm, lemon bread rolls are nice and all, but I had another delicacy in mind," he whispered, his hands slowly trailing down her cheeks, chin, neck and chest to come rest as one perky breasts, caressing it lovingly as he continued to ply at her ear with her tongue. "But I have a feeling we might both pass out if we let ourselves carried away. Just one of the many downsides of being proficient at lovemaking," he said, laughing boyishly at his own corniness. And so he reluctantly pulled back, hands still on her chest, and slowly pulled himself out of her, shuddering as her mucles gave him one last parting squeeze. "Looks like we made a bit of a mess of both your dress and the table," he mused amusedly, looking down to assess the damage, before looking back up to smile winningly at the redhead. "Can we cuddle somewhere?" he asked, as if he was a savvy merchant proposing some preposterous purchase, from the way he grinned.
gpt
Watching his reaction to her whispered quip, so characteristic of the redhead even amidst an afterglow such as this, her lips quirked into a triumphant smirk as he barked out surprised laughter; soon a soft gale of giggles left her own lips as Cayd's callous, yet always gentle, fingers pinched her still flushed cheeks as a form of playful retaliation. She loved every moment she spent with him, but in these post-lovemaking moments where some of the most pure, innocent and endearing between them, even if they only had a minute or two to hurriedly rearrange their clothes, pushing their hair into some sort of normal state as they waited for their breathing to steady and the flush on their cheeks to fade. But in the rare times they had actual time, such as this, it was something she wouldn't forsake for anything else in Thedas. His vulnerability, the way his eyes sparkled and mirrored his emotions just for her - a few moments passed before she realised she had just been staring up at her lover, her own eyes wide and unguarded as they often were with other people. Blinking them rapidly, she came back the present, his fingers and lips gently playing with the tips of her ears; any one else who tried that would get a small shock straight into their fingertips and up their arm. But not Cayden.
As Cayd whispered into her ear, she could hear the way it almost imperceptibly broke in places, the pleasured exhaustion hidden behind every word. Ari felt it too; though he was quietly jesting -mostly -, Cayd reallywasa proficient lover, and had Aria not been aware from the very beginning of their courtship that he had never even kissed another women throughout his teens she would have assumed he'd had some prior experience. Despite the backdrop of their relationship, for all intents and purposes prisoners in these stone walls, Ari considered herself lucky to have found Cayden, that they clicked almost from the very start of their acquaintance as two young newcomers who been ripped from their previous lives and forced to acclimatise themselves to the rest of their lives within Kinloch hold. She supposed she would have survived somehow, and yet she knew Cayd kept her sane, kept herher. There were many mages she'd seen who had been broken down over time, becoming bitter, depressed, some even dangerous. ...and it didn't help he was attractive and very good at kissing.
Cayd pulled back from her, and in so doing pulled away from her depths, the reluctance she felt in her body she knew he was also feeling, though Ari was validated in seeing how, just as his member slid free from her, a shudder coursed through his body, giving him one last thrill. Ari was able to sit up now; very lightly grimacing at the soft dull pain in her shoulders from where they had pressed against the table that she hadn't even noticed for a moment, her grey eyes followed his to the parting of her thighs and the table beneath it, lips pressed together to prevent laughter or something snarky from slipping forth. Pressing her hands against his chest as a sort of anchor, she shuffled off the table, taking a moment to steady herself against Cayd, her legs weak and wobbly, before lifting some of the fabric of her robes and patting it against the mess on the table - somewhat clumsily, it must be said, but the effort was there. Her robes were now even more in a state of disarray, but her slender shoulders shrugged lightly as she looked back up at him, eyebrows raised in amusement and mirroring Cayd's expression. "I can't speak for the table, but if it comes to my robes I can always spill some agent or the other on them to hide the... worst of the 'damage'."
Ari wobbled a little, though in truth it was all an act, and quite possibly one Cayd might just recognise; her body fell softly against his as her fingers curled into his skin lightly, and she put on a weak voice, her wide smile hidden against his chest. "If you don't sweep me into your arms right this instant and cuddle with me in that armchair over there I'm going to pass out. As in,right now."
human
It was hard not to at least chuckle at the way she patted the table away with her dress, throwing in a bit of flair into the act which was, all in all, quite unnecessary and ineffective. But, it was the effort that mattered, not the result, so Cayden instead gave her an impressed nod and a quick thumbs-up, but soon broke into an amused grin, as he always did. Aria held this carefree, happy-go-lucky aura about her that made it almost impossible to keep a straight face when he was around her. Well, except the times they were having sex against various furniture and flat surfaces, during which his face would be occupied with other things. He could easily imagine Aria as a jovial spellsinger if she were not a prisoner of these cold stone walls, bringing happiness and love and laughter to anyone lucky enough to cross her path with the gifts the Maker had bestowed upon her. Admired by the young and elderly alike, helping the sick and bringing smiles upon the downtrodden. And perhaps he could be her loyal companion, a rugged sellsword (perhaps he could grow out an impressive beard, or a stubble at the very leasat) to go with the pretty mage-bard, travelling across Thedas from Orlais to The Anderfels, filling their coffers and making love under the stars, not in cramped broom closets and deserted libraries. Just another of the fantasies he entertained when he was not dreaming of a simple farmer's life with her. Wherever he planned on going, whatever reality he thought of, Aria was always there, the centre of his world, and so was he, a loyal shadow to this wonderful woman he so loved with all of his racing heart.
Her hands felt soft on his chest, barely there, and he instinctively took a hold of her triceps, helping to steady her with a surprised chuckle when she wobbled a bit too easily and fell into his awaiting chest. Although her voice was soft and weak and her body limp, he could practicallyfeel her wide smile, and the young man could not help but play along to his lover's little antics. "Right now?" he gasped in mock horror, also trying his damnedest not to break into a fit of giggles as he pulled her in closer and held her close to his heart. "We cannot let that happen now, can we? Hold on just a moment longer, my sweet damsel," he whispered laughingly, and bringing a hand under her knees and quite literally sweeping the giggly woman into his arms. She was a petite thing, and even after the the tiring tryst earlier, he was able to pick her up without much effort. Well, perhaps a small huff, but that was to be expected.
"We would be quite a sight, me carrying you around while being naked from the waist down," he murmured against her ear, a quiet, happy contention in his grey eyes, as he slowly padded over to the said armchair, which by the way, was more than large enough for two people snuggle in comfortably, which led him to believe that the old mages that furnished the library knew exactly what they were doing. Maker bless them. He carefully lowered the two of them down onto the armchair, placing Aria's ass firmly in his legs while her head and legs spilled out from the sides. One hand behind her head, so that she wouldn't be lying on wood, and another to skirt beneath her robes and brush against her thighs and crimson bush, a subtle show of affection where it felt unusual if he wasn't touching her somewhere. "Here we go," be cooed, flipping his hair back and placing a quick peck on her lips, letting her settle in however she wants on top of him. His fingers played with her hair from behind, stroking them, deftly pulling them into braids only to let them go again, and he closed his eyes happily as he leaned on his shoulder, simply basking in the warmth of her presence. "Mm, this is nice... I wish we could indulge more in post-sex cuddling."
gpt
Aria held back her giggles from slipping between her lips, but her body shook somewhat against him with the force of keeping them silent. But when Cayd reacted in a mock, gasping horror at her 'oh, wow is me, I'm so weak' delicate damsel antics, a few left her mouth quite unwillingly, and in the end, as her lover lifted her into his arms as if she were a mere child, the giggles erupted into full laughter; though she had to catch herself for a moment, the first laugh echoing tellingly against the bookshelves surrounding them. She hated the feeling of being silenced in these moments with him, especially the more intimate they were. A cupboard door opening and a mage and templar laughing together would, alone, raise suspicions; however, if the said mage and templar were caught in various states of undress and compromising positions, Ari couldn't even imagine the consequences, didn't want to. And so, pushed that out of her mind, instead snuggling in closer to Cayd's lean warmth as he brought her to the armchair. A ratty old thing, clearly no one had thought to replace it in a very long time, it was lumpy and threadbare in places, but just right enough for their need of it in this moment.
Cayd's voice, crooning and indulgent following her show of weakness, was soothing, and Aria lifted a hand to rest against his cheek and softly her fingers traced the lines of his jawline. Her giggles had now subsided, though a ghost of a smirk was still evident on her face as her eyes met his. "Mm, yes, exactly what I wanted," she said, her own voice little more than a murmur. "I'm lucky, as a dainty damsel, to have such a knight in shining armour such as you." Supressing a yawn with her free hand over her mouth, she blinked away the light bleariness that threatened to take over her sight. They still likely had a good while before they had to part ways again, and she wasn't going to waste any of that time by falling asleep in Cayd's arms - again. He'd let her sleep, though, and that made it a little worse, though Ari knew she wouldn't be annoyed at him about it. After all, falling asleep in a lover's embrace was a commonly normal thing to do, and very little about their relationship was normal - no three guesses as to why Cayd would let her sleep and hold on to that torturously brief sense of normalcy.
"One day," she began, continuing without thinking, her mind between the realm of wakefulness and the blissful dream-state of someone who became rather quickly tired, mouth moving faster to speak than her brain was in actually thinking about the words. "One day, we'll be curled up in front of the hearth in wolf furs or something, and we'll stay there all night.The whole night. And in the morning, we'll make love again-" here a small yawn did break through, and her voice was softer when she continued. "-.before getting on with the day. I call dibs on the three goats." Ari's words trailed off, her back arching in a stretch against him; and then, grey eyes widening somewhat she realised what she had said, all mirth from before evaporating rapidly, and the pure fruitlessness of such a daydream. Her heart tightened painfully in her chest, lips pressed together for a solid moment, before she let out a long, ragged exhale from them. "I..." Ari's small hands covered her face, the only way she felt she could hide the intensity of the sadness that suddenly washed through her from Cayd's eyes, though she knew it was useless. "I'm sorry," she said as she drew her hands away, voice small and child-like. "I didn't mean- I got caught up in... thinking about it," and here her voice had an undercurrent of anger in it, though it was only directed at herself. Ari refused to look up at Cayd for fear her carelessly muttered words had hurt him. "I'm sostupid."
The words echoed in her head: stupid, stupid,stupid.The moment was surely ruined now. Though she felt a twisted irony in all of this: Cayden had briefly mentioned needing to discuss something. If that something was bad, like her Harrowing, well - at least she had been the one to ruin the moment between them.
human
The old armchair was far from comfortable, but it in that moment, where Aria was safely curled up in his embrace and clinging onto him as lovers should, Cayd felt as if he was seated upon the grandest and most luxurious chair in all of Thedas. It was the person that made the memories, and when he was with Ari, every straw bed they made love on became a king's down-stuffed mattress, every old table they rutted against became the most exotic piece of craftsmanship mankind has ever seen. The mirth in his grey eyes glowed to match her identical greys, loving the soft glide of her hand along his cheeks, the adorable way she covered her yawn with one hand and blink away the sleepiness that threatened to overtake them both. He would've gladly let her fall asleep in his arms, content to just gaze upon the sleeping beauty for a few hours until the time came where they would inevitably have to part ways. It was what normal lovers did, after all, was it not? Pillow talk and lazy, half-coherent conversations, just looking upon each other's faces as they slipped off into sleep. He knew Ari didn't like it she would prefer to make the most of what they have instead of indulging in fanciful fantasies, but Cayden, despite being a templar that he is, was a dreamer at heart. It was these books and wayward thoughts that made life bearable after all; combined with Aria, of course.
So it understandably took him by surprise when she began to spin tales of a distant future, without even thinking about it, it seems, where they would live a simple life with simple worries, holding each other close without fear of repercussion, as lovers should. The hints of tiredness that had hovered at the edge of his face faded back, the young man strangely intrigued by the redhead's lovely vision. Yet a fierce, pulsating sadness clawed at his conscience, both of them knowing all too well that these fantasies were just that fantasies. Though, his smile was still in a soft upward curve, listening intently while studying closely every little change in her features. And then it was all gone suddenly, Aria noticing what she has said, the mirth and joy in her eyes replaced by a crippling hopelessness, hiding her face from him so he wouldn't see her pain.
Cayd wasted no time in acting. Immediately, his hand left her legs to gently pry away her hands, wanting to see every part of her, tears and all. His voice was soft, loving, affectionate, matronly even, wanting to pull her away from the well of melancholic thoughts that would truly pull her in and consume her, even if he himself had an a dull ache in his chest. "Oh, Ari... there's no need to be sorry about dreaming," he whispered softly, kissing each corner of her eyes so that he could wipe away any tears before they could fall. "Don't call yourself that, okay? I'm the one always telling you about these. You're making me look bad," he said in a half-hearted jest, continuing to pepper her face with kisses her nose, forehead, chin, cheeks, lips, brows, each and every touch a smoothing balm to take away her sadness. Perhaps he could not provide her with the future they envisioned, but he could provide her with a safe haven in his arms when she needed him. "You take the three goats, and I go and tend to chickens... We have a beautiful little cottage on the outskirts of Fereldan, where no one bothers us about anything. Just our own little world. Our children will come bother us as we're working... hmm, two boys and a girl. The boys come help you to milk the goats, but they take after you, so they're cheeky little buggers. More trouble than they're worth. I" He hadn't noticed that he himself had choked up during all this, and with a dejected laugh, he shook away the overwhelming urge to break down and instead settled for placing a long, desperate kiss on Aria's lips. "There's no need to be sorry about dreaming," he repeated.
It was actually amazing, how they managed to go from laughing about lemon bread rolls to brooding about their future, but such was the normalcy of their life. With a heavy heart, he shifted up a bit in his seat and cleared his throat, a telltale sign for when he was nervous, or when he had something important to say. Sometimes both. "And... on that note, Ari... The thing I wanted to talk to you about. Your..." he sighed, his lips unwilling to speak the cursed word. "Your Harrowing. It will come inevitably, and I thought it best to speak of it sooner rather than later. I... what will we do if you..."
No, he couldn't dare to think about asking her what would happen if she fails.
gpt
Aria didn't deserve Cayden; he was too good and pure and loving for her, too good for the life of a Templar, truly. He should be the one to be free, to love and cherish some noble lady, the pride of his parents. She couldn't pull her hands from his grasp, exposing her face, though she tried so hard,sohard, to flatten out her expression as much as she possibly could. There was no reason for it; she wouldn't cry, not fully, she wouldn't break apart so much in his arms, but as Cayd's soft lips peppered over her, the hurriedly spoken words laced with desperate reassurance kissed onto her face, exhaled gasps left her lips as she fought back against the sobs that threatened to expose just how sorrowful and hopeless she felt. As a few rogue tears dropped from the corners of her eyes, they were quickly stopped in their tracks at Cayd kissed them away. It was rare to not want to be around Cayd; in fact, she thought this was the first time ever she wanted to be alone, to sink to the floor, to crumple up into a ball and let the tears flow as her anguish rushed through her and into a scream. But she needed him in this moment, more than anything, and instead Ari had to force the instinct deep inside of her.
Still, Ari couldn't help but give out shuddering breaths, chest heaving rapidly, quickly devolving into quiet hiccups as she listened to his own embellishment on her uttered dream, unaware of more tears streaming from her eyes and that she was shaking her head; though if in denial of his story, or trying to get him to stop, she wouldn't have even been to say. The cottage, tucked away somewhere off of the beaten path, surrounded by tall trees and a fenced garden she would tend to in between the farm chores and the children, though Cayd would be no means a deficient or absent father. The two boys, she could almost see them as clear as day, running around the farmstead and causing playful chaos, pulling their sister's pigtails but justwell-behaved enough to stop their antics with a stern look from their father. Their girl... she was a solemn little thing, apple of her father's eye. If any of them showed any magical ability, Aria was guide them, mentor them, keep them safe - only over her dead body would they be ripped away from them into the Tower. Lost as Ari was in her own thoughts, she only caught the way Cayd's voice broke off before his lips covered hers; the kiss was desperate and needy, but not the usual kind of need that was so often between them.
Cayden pulled back, his grey eyes flat and grave, and Ari felt a short stab in her chest at this expression that looked so out of place, and her fears for the direction the conversation was taken were confirmed. The Harrowing. Of course that would have to be discussed eventually, why not when the mood between them was already hopeless and bitter? It wasn't as if Aria hadn't thought about it herself, and with a final, ragged sigh, Aria turned her body in Cayd's lap so that she was further curled into his grasp much like a baby. Her eyes closed and her voice was almost measured when she spoke.
"If I fail," she said, her voice without intonation. Though many of the particulars of what exactly happened during the Harrowing were kept secret, rumours were bound to fly around the walls of the Circle, and the two of them knew, or heard, enough for it to be a veritable fear. "If I fail, I'll die. Regardless of whether it's the demon or not. I mean, there's always the possibility the demon possessing me will be so powerful it will rampage for a while, but it... I...will be put down eventually."
human
Aria never pushed him away, never had to shield herself from him in any way, shape or form. So it came as a hurtful surprise when she pushed back against him, struggling against his kisses and whispered reassurances, shaking her head furiously as if she didn't want to, or rather, could not bear to hear his embellishments on their little dream. It crushed him inside, to see her so broken and hurt about a hopeless future, and the painful fact that he was powerless to do anything for her only compounded on his feelings. Still, even as she whimpered and sobbed and rejected his touches, he would not shift away, knowing she needed him even if she didn't want her. It was a gift after all, to be able to read between the lines of one's partner's emotions, and right now, Cayden knew Aria would crumble into a shambling mess if he left her. And so he continued on, desperately regaling to her the memories of a future yet to pass, of their little cottage tucked away amidst the the woods, the farm animals, their two troublesome boys and the quiet, soft-spoken little girl who would sit in a corner all day and read poetry rather than join in with her brothers' antics. They would all have a happy life, away from the worries of the world their parents suffered so much from growing up. And in the middle of it all, Aria and Cayden, holding each other until they were old and grey, sitting in front of a flickering hearthfire until the very end, when they would leave the world behind. And as he spoke, the images flashed before his eyes, and tears began to sting at his eyes, words choking up in his mouth, but he blinked them away all the same, knowing Ari was the one in need of an emotional anchor.
So it baffled him why he ever thought it was a good idea to bring up her Harrowing when she was in such a terrible state. Thick as the tower walls, he was. Still, he was quick in wrapping his arms protectively around the redhead so she could curl up in a fetal position and press deeper into him, his hands rubbing her back gently to soothe her.
It chilled him to the bone, the lack of emotion and intonation in her voice when she answered. Between the two of them, Aria was always the livelier one, the more expressive, easier to cry and laugh and anger. And her answer... Maker, her answer scared him more than her voice. Cayden was not expecting such a blunt truth from her, and it only forced him to face a reality that he had been avoiding for so long that he could very well lose Aria in that cursed ritrual. His whole body tensed up, his jaw setting and clenching so much he feared his teeth would shatter. Surprising himself, Cayden steeled his mind and grasped Ari's wrist, his grip vice-like and possessive, as if telling her no one was allowed to take her away from him, not even herself. He tipped her chin up to meet his gaze, and in those eyes she would see nothing but love and a cold, hard determination to get what he desired that being seeing Aria come out of the fade in perfect condition. "No." His voice had a tone of finality to it, as if he would not entertain any arguments or logical fallacies in his selfish wants. "No. I can't bear to lose you Aria. We... we have such a long, beautiful life waiting for us in the future. Promise me Aria," he whispered, squeezing her hand desperately as if he feared his voice would not be heard. "Promise me you'll come back safe and sound. Promise me I'll see you the day after so I can pull you into my arms and tell you just how much I love you. Promise me you'll come back to me... so we can one day cuddle together in wolf furs in front of the hearth in our little cottage."
A shuddered breath left his lips, an echo of the emotional toil he felt inside, his eyes glassy with pained tears. "Promise me," he said, for the umpteenth time.
gpt
Ari had seen Cayd be incredibly serious before; his position as a Templar demanded seriousness and stoicism as a given, though comparatively Cayd tend to be somewhat more open than his brothers. Still, the deathly grave expression on his face, the face that he often kept light when he was with her, the way his eyes blazed with a mixture of deep determination and desperation - some fury, she thought too, though if there was it wasn't directed at her -, coupled with the vice grip around her slender wrist, shocked her, and she froze a little against him. His voice, the words spoken in clipped, final tones, cut through the room like a sharpened knife, and if his face and demeanour hadn't already made it very clear where his thoughts lay on the matter, that alone would have gave her some indication. Barring a few times he'd grabbed her with a little too much eagerness, back when they had been so inexperienced they had just been acting upon their base urges, it was the most pressure he had ever exerted upon her.
"Cayd," she whispered, but her voice might have well as been silent entirely for all the force she put behind the word, especially as he continued to speak. And she wanted desperately for what he said to be true, more than anything else in the world. That was the scary part, though, being a mage - she hadn't mentioned it to him at all, after all it hadn't been until now that they'd even brought up her Harrowing at all, so why would she have mentioned it? But if there was some way, maybe some spirit or...demon...that offered to give her the life she so desperately wanted to live, with Cayd, living free and together with no indomitable walls around them, would she take the offer? She might. The crux of the matter there was that no mage could trust anyone, or anything, they met in the Fade. The Harrowing was more of a test of will, than of magical ability, and when it came to her hopes and dreams for that life with her lover, her will and training might all crumble. And then what if the spirit she made a deal with wasn't a spirit, a spirit of Hope, or of Love, or whatever, and instead a demon possessed her, twisted her mind and body until she was nothing left but an abomination; an abomination that would be very likely put down quickly... and she would never be seen again.
So could she promise that she would enter the Fade and leave it safe and sound? Ari wanted to say yes, to put Cayd's mind to peace a little, even just a little. But even though, only minutes ago, they had been laughing together and coming down from their shared intimate high, to her it was now just a distant memory, almost. And somehow, that dream they both shared - she'd even gone so far to tentatively think of their future children's names, subject to argument from Cayd: for their little girl, sitting quietly, Marielle. It was close enough to Ari's mother's name, and her own, to be a sort of tribute, but unique enough to suit their unique daughter. The boys, that had been a little harder - in her mind she wasn't sure if they were twins or not, but she liked Ciaran and Tyrel, which meant stubborn, and she was sure that her boys would take after herself a little too much. The family would produce most of what they needed on their farmstead; probably the boys would want to learn to hunt at a young age, whereas perhaps Mari was a creative mind that liked to create and tell stories.
But she still couldn't promise to Cayden she would survive. And so Aria said nothing, her plump lips pressed so tightly together that they, usually so pink, where bone white from the pressure. She wouldn't cry, not the way she wanted to, and even though it practically killed her to not jump immediately into reassuring him of her survival, of their future together, whether or not they ever started that family they both so wanted, she couldn't lie to him either. She had no idea what would await her in the Fade, and though not giving this promise to him was likely cruel, she thought it would be even more cruel to make that promise. And then, as if it couldn't get any worse, a single, lone, terrifying thought came to her, her lips parting in a strangled cry, sitting up in Cayd's arms as her face lost all of its usual colour. Aria shivered uncontrollably, hands clenched together so tightly it was painful as she shuffled out of his lap, though her movement was not so strong as to break the grasp he had upon her. Internally she cursed everything; the Maker, the Circle, the blasted Templars and their duties, the Fade, magic, her parents, her birth - but never Cayd. But the thought, once in her head, wouldn't leave. For although the general rites and rules around what exactly happened during the Harrowing was a well kept secret, rumours were easily spread. Some were hopeful, deludingly so. Others so ridiculous no one could even countenance them. But what was fact was that a mage either survived the Harrowing and returned to Circle society, no longer a mere apprentice. Or they were never heard from again. And the most common rumour, horrifying enough to be reasonable, was that mages who failed their Harrowing were put down by the Templars; some had, the rumours went, taken just a little too long, and were killed. None of the rumours could ever identify any current Templars who might have had this grisly duty - they were either summoned after the made had already entered the Fade, or wearing their helmet, after all - but the point, the terrifying point, was still obvious: that any Templar,anyof them, could be called upon to end the life of a mage during their Harrowing. And the thought that had Aria in a state of almost shock was this:
What if Cayd, her beloved Cayden, was the one who had to take on that duty?
human
It completely unsettled Cayden, how Aria had her lips clamped shut, the usual pretty pink turned snow white from the pleasure. He would've given anything to hear a simple confirmation from her, a single "yes", a single promise to come back into his arms unscathed even if it was a sweet, empty lie. Hells, he even a whispered "sorry" might have eased him a little, but no words fell from those pouty lips he loved so much. In the end, it was a deafening silence that overtook the two of them, not the sweet words of reassurance he so desperately hoped for. Ari was still curled up in his lap, clinging onto him, but Cayd couldn't help but feel that she was worlds away from him, lost in her own crushing thoughts, puting up barriers that didn't exist before and pushing him away. Perhaps he should have eased up a little, give her some space and time - after all, they had been laughing while having sex just moments ago - but logic and reasoning would not be on the forefront of his mind when there was a very real threat that he could lose her in the next few months... or weeks, even. The thought hit him hard, once he realized that his days with her could be essentially numbered. But was that not in the very essence of their secretive romance? They could dream about a peaceful life away from the worries of the world as much as the want, but everyone has to wake up one day and face reality. And the reality of their situation was that they were hanging onto each other by the barest threads - they were lucky enough to have grown up together and to have come to love each other, be the centres of each other's world. Yet, just as easily, Aria could fail at her Harrowing, or he could be called away to serve some place else - templars don't stay long in one post after all. And he's held this one for twenty years.
Cayden so wanted to push her more, to eke out even a little squeak out of her in hopes that she might tell him what he wanted to hear, but he too fell silent, not quite coming to terms with the fact that Aria might not come back, even though she has. Suddenly the future felt bleak, an opposite shift from the little dream they shared. What would he do without her? What would he do if he could not hear her laugh anymore? Would he still be able to serve the Maker's cruel "will"? Would he be able to stand by and watch while other apprentices succeed where Ari had failed and flourish in their lives? Or worse, fail in the same manner as she died? He might not. At that point, it would be a mercy to be sent out into the world for whatever task the Chantry assigns him, but even then, he knew he would see her face in every happy family he comes across, every happy couple living a life they were not given. The mind was a strange thing, and to be trapped in one's own thoughts was a terrifying prospect indeed - something the young, frazzled templar was quickly learning as he fell deeper into the mental hellhole he's dug for himself. And the Harrowing... the exact details of the ritual was understandably kept secret, but rumours flew abound against these thick stone walls that had eyes and ears. He tried to not pay heed to rumours, but one thing was starkly clear - either the apprentice succeeds in their Harrowing, or they fail and they die. Cayden knew not what tests awaited them in the Fade of the Lyrium induced dreams, but he had suffered from enough nightmares himself to know it would not be pleasant. And among his brothers... there were ones who came back shaken and numb after being called upon to attend to a Harrowing, ones that eventually ended up failing. No questions were asked, but it was quite obvious, from the bloodied sword to the shaken men, that a life had been taken. The templars were essentially jailors to the mages after all, and it was a jailor's responsibility to remove prisoners that may prove harmful to others. What if Aria, Maker forbid, had failed her task, and he was the one called upon to bring down the sword?
It would destroy him. It was so unbearably painful to even think about ever hurting her, even by accident; how could he ever take the life of the only person he had ever loved and ever will love? But... it was also comforting, in a way. Such was the paradoxical nature of humans. Yes, it would break him, but if she was destined to leave him behind, then at least he would be the one to free her from this cruel life. He would take all her pain away with one swift stroke, and add her burdens and worries to his own and life out a cursed life for the two of them, while she goes on to live peacefully by the Maker's side, waiting for the day when he would inevitably join her. He would not be able to give her a peaceful life on the farmstead with their three children, but he would grant her the final moment of rest, at least. And that singular thought, as crushing and depressing as it was, helped him cope a bit with the unthinkable.
He was opening his mouth, ready to apologise for pushing her, when she sat up in his lap, all colored drained from her face as if she'd seen a ghost, shivering and trembling uncontrollably. "Ari?" he called worriedly, his own woes disappearing for a moment as he moved to care for his visibly shaken lover. She let out a choked cry, a sound that stabbed a dagger into his aching heart and twisted it cruelly. "Ari, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to" Before he knew it, Ari was scrambling out of his lap, her hands clenched tightly as she tried to wrestle away from his grasp, probably able to run away from him if it weren't for his grip on her wrist. Even then, the mere force of her movement jerked him forward, and before she could try anything else, he wrapped around her waist from behind, holding her tight in his arms so she couldn't run away anymore, no matter how much she wanted to. "Why do you want to run away from me, Aria?" he asked in a whisper, his state of emotions clear in his shaky, hitched voice. Just the fact that Aria didn't want to be near him nearly made him crumble into dust, and as he held her there, the fragrance of her hair caressing his nostrils, a single rogue tear fell across his cheek. "Is it... is it because of what I said?" he continued to ask, confounded and fearful of what she might be thinking. His hands snaked along to find hers, lacing his fingers in her smaller digits, holding her possessively in a way he never had before. He had never needed to. "Please, Ari, don't shut me out. Tell me something...anything."
gpt
Aria was not typically someone who fell into depressions of any kind, even as trapped and helpless she often felt, a byproduct of living as a mage in the Circle. Sometimes she wondered why she was able to keep a generally brave faced upon things, was able to comfort other apprentices and reassure them, especially the younger arrivals. Maybe it was just a natural talent she had been born with, and despite the life her parents had to live, they were pleasant and even occasionally indulgent - until the night of the fire. But for the first few years of living in the Tower, she held on to her parent's smiles, and then being taken under Wynne's wing, she very quickly was able to hide any anger she had at the change in her circumstances. And then getting to know Cayden, despite being from completely opposite lives, well after that, she didn't need anything else, and with Cayd being typically the more serious of the pair, she filled the 'happy, smiling friend' boots rather well. That wasn't to say she never felt fear, or anger, or bitterness, but rather that she hid it well. But then, even though she'd thought about her Harrowing before, learning about the rumours and consequences of failure, that lone thought had never come up. So why had it come up now? Because now, in this moment, she felt sick to her stomach, face pale as death, each beat of her heart causing pain in her chest, and even Cayd's frantic, possessive hold on her trembling body after she sat ramrod straight in his lap barely even registered.
Over and over in her mind she imagined all of the ways the Harrowing could go wrong, though the image of Cayd, looming over her still, prone, lifeless body, the sword that was currently resting in the corner next to her staff dropping to the floor as her blood pooled beneath her and stained her robes. Her body would have be removed, quietly and without attracting notice, likely buried in an unmarked grave, or burned, or Maker knew what; in her head, Cayden was the one who slid his armoured arms beneath her body and lifted it against him, in a way he had done so many times before - though no more would she be able to lift her head and smile at him, making some asinine joking remark. Her blood would be on his sword, on his armour, in his hands - and in his head. The image of the blood almost appeared to turn her vision red, and nausea bubbling up inside her, though she quickly repressed it with a hiccup. The sound brought her back into the present, back into Cayd's arms. His grasp almost hurt her, but that was nothing, not important. Cayd's voice was a mere whisper, the words broken and tortured, and she slowly turned her head to him, grey eyes wide and empty.
She was confused: she wasn't running away from him, was she? - until she realised she was no longer laying in his lap and had apparently, when that lone, horrible thought had hit her, tried to get away from him. Slowly, Ari shook her head a little, brows pulled together, her body less stiff now. "I-" the world was choked out, and Ari had to cough and clear her throat so that the sobbing her mind so desperately wanted to let free would not leave. Of course, she had no way of knowing that Cayd had also come to a similar conclusion that she had - she had been in non-verbal shock, after all - and so to herself, her words sounded disjointed and confused. "What if it's you?" she whispered, a few rogue tears betraying her wish to not cry in front of Cayden. "What if you have to do it?" Her stomach roiled again, and she found herself gasping, body cold, a weakness starting to overcome her as she fell back against his grasp, no longer pulling away from him. "What... what if...?"
human
Cayden thanked the Maker and the elvish gods and the old gods and all the deities that ever was when Aria came back down to earth. A single choked word let slip from her, prompting his head to move away and lean over so he could gleam a look at his lover. Even when broken and hurt and her eyes filled to tears, she looked beautiful. Bashful about his own tears, he let out a small nervous laugh and wiped them away, not wanting to appear weak when he needed to be an anchor for Aria's quickly fleeting emotions. Her question was simple, and frankly strange and out of context, but Cayden knew exactly what she meant, and it sent a haunting chill across his spine that was had him frozen and wide-eyed. It wasn't that unlikely they'd fear the same thing regarding the Harrowing, but the words still felt as sharp as needles when said aloud, and compounding it all into a painful, helpess reality - he had no true answer for her. What if it was him? What he had to do it? He couldn't answer. "I..."
A gasping sob wracked through her, her body going limp as if all her strength had been sapped away, no longer pulling away from him. Cayd was there to catch her, supporting her weight against his, unable to speak or offer any sort of reassurance as the love of his life broke down into sobs and hiccups, unable to even fully form her sentences anymore. Even then, Cayden had no answer, the only comfort he could offer being his protective grasp around her, keeping her safe and sound if only for a moment. Their fears about making noise or sneaking out on time were lost in the frantic haze. He had never seen Ari cry this much to the point of hysterics, always having been the happy, easy-going lass she was. Even through the myriad of dreadful worries about a bleak future yet to come, Cayd knew to soothe his girl. Soft as the wind that breezed around them, he kissed her on her head and gently turned her around, pulling her in and embracing her tight so she could cry against his shirt and muffle her sobs in it. A hand pressed against her waist, keeping her firmly in place against him, while its twin gently sifted through her crimson locks, trying to calm her down as best he could as he gave as much time she needed to let out her tears.
He didn't shush her or tell her to stop crying, knowing she would only devolve further into melancholic despair if she did not have some sort of outlet for her grief. "I don't know, Ari," he whispered, brutally honest. "I don't know. If I have to be the one to do it, then I... I..." Would he be able to do it? It didn't matter. He would have to. Aria knew that, as clearly as he did. Just as she wouldn't promise him she would come back safe and sound, Cayd couldn't promise her anything regarding the Harrowing. There may come a moment where he has to choose duty over love and commit an act of the highest sin, if only to protect the lives of all who lived in Kinloch Hold. After all, Aria had said so herself there was a chance, a terrifying chance, that she may well be possessed by a powerful demon. And if that ever comes to pass, Cayden would be called upon to strike down the abomination that wears her face, even if it would shatter his world.
But Aria doesn't have to know that, does she?
"I won't ever hurt you. I promised you, remember? When have I ever broken a promise?" he asked with a half-hearted laugh, not swayed by his own attempts at misdirection. "I won't lay a finger on you, come what may. The others will have to tear my dead body off you before they touch you, Ari."
gpt
Seeing the broken realisation on his face as he understood her mumbled words caused her to like like the biggest arsehole in the whole of Thedas, and self-hatred bubbled in her chest, her eyes closing tightly. Self-hatred wasn't new to her, the whole being an elf, being a mage, after all, meant that sometimes she looked at herself in the mirror and wanted to be human, to be normal. And maybe if she didn't have Cayden, it would have changed her, made her bitter and mean, but his love, his worship of her, brushed those thoughts away. But never before had she been the reason for Cayd's face to twist in pain, and in his arms, the tears causing streaks down her pale, pretty face, her eyes wide and sparkling with the tears as if the whole of the sky's constellations were embedded into them, she stared directly into Cayd's own grey eyes. Every word he said, no matter how quietly it was spoken, she ingrained into every beat of her heart, her mind, her body, her soul, even as her crying slowly stopped and soft hiccups escaped from her lips. Slowly, trembling with emotion, she lifted her hands to cradle his face, thumbs lightly brushing over the balls of his cheek, over the barest amount of stubble peppered there, her galaxy eyes taking in every minute detail of the face of her lover.
I won't ever hurt you.
I won't lay a finger on you.
Those statements were now a mantra in the very fabric of Aria's existence, the promises, combined with his soft, subtle laugh, causing the bulk of the misery subside, at least enough that she found she could breath normally again. Her lips parted, her gaze into his face almost reverent. "Cayd..." the way she spoke his name was just a whisper, just one of the many secret words this deserted library must have heard over the centuries, as she moved into the space between them and captured his lips with her own. Against his mouth, she took in a deep breath into her nose, the scent of him faintly woodsy yet tangy, almost metallic, mixed with the almost imperceptible saltiness of sweat accumulated from their love-making earlier, and she felt safe, loved, in his arms. Ari whispered his name against his lips again. Was it a little hypocritical, a little selfish of her, to accept Cayden's promise when she couldn't make her own promise not so long ago? And besides that, if she should become possessed, the idea of him throwing his life away... that caused her heart to contract painfully for a beat. But if the Maker was good and kind and loved his children as the Chantry sisters taught them, then the two of them would be together, freer in death than they could ever be in life - desperate to put some slight element of good humour into the situation, she thought of them as two Spirits, tending to Spirit animals on some spiritual farmland, and for the first time in what felt like a long time, her lips curved into something like a smile against Cayd's lips.
human
Guilt washed over Cayden's chest even as the pain and misery visibly flowed out of Aria and faded into thin air. She was breathing normally now, no more wracking sobs or gasping breaths against his chest, but at what cost? He'd lied to her for the first time in their many years of friendship and love. A bond of trust unknowingly broken, an invisible line crossed. An innocuous white lie it may be, but it carried many consequences, the most prominent of which was if he was actually called up for the job. And then there was the matter of the lie itself. Was he being a bad partner for her, lying to her even for her own sake? Shouldn't he be able to tell her the truth, no matter how harsh it might be? And if he truly loved her... shouldn't he be able to give his life to protect her no matter what becomes of her, like he said? In truth, Cayden doubted his resolve when push comes to shove, and a deep sense of guilt and self-loathing consumed his frame. Yet, it was all washed away with a single look from Aria, those sparkling, shining nebulae of stars she called her eyes easing his mind with just a glance. She was no longer crying now, but rather gazing at him, reverently, lovingly, as she trailed her hand along his cheeks. Cayden swallowed his ball of shame.
Yes, he did the right thing. There was no need to put her through any more turmoil. If need be, he would throw himself at her feet and beg for forgiveness. Right now, all that mattered was that Aria was able to smile again.
And smile, she would. But not before she called his name in a soothing whisper that was as melodic as a siren's song, reaching up on tip toes to meet his lips in a kiss. He reciprocated in turn, so,so relieved to see a fragment of the old Aria again. His hands did not roam or explore her body as they did before; no, this time they stayed on her hips, almost as if he was worried she might run away from him again. The kiss was soft and sweet, not charged by desire and want, but so much deeper in truth that he couldn't describe it in words. They needed it, the intimacy. Cayden knew he would go mad if Aria had not shown him that she was okay, and he knew full well the same would be the case if he not been there for her. Against his lips, she whispered his name again, and Cayden responded in kind, uttering her name in a grave prayer. "Ari..."
She smelled of spice and citrus, unique and delightful in just the right way, her natural scent mixed in with a perfume of patchouli and sweet orange and lemongrass. He couldn't get enough of her; the intoxicating fragrance, the sweet, familiar taste of her lips, the breathtaking beauty of her eyes. And suddenly, her lips perked up in a small smile against his, and Cayden inadvertently did so as well, letting out a small, relieved laugh for the first time in what felt like ages, even though it had only been mere minutes since they were laughing and joking about lemon bread rolls. "Everything will be fine, Ari," he whispered, against the very core of his own beliefs at the moment; white lie after white lie. Why stop now when he could make her smile again, at least for the remainder of this night? "I won't let anything happen to you."
After a moment of much needed making out, he parted from her lips with a smile, gave her nose a light peck, and sank to his knees so he could look up at all her beauty, in all her teary-eyed messy glory. A small chuckle slipped past his lips at the state of both their dresses and persons, and with an affectionate smile he pulled her legs against him and pressed a long, much deserved kiss against the flat of her tummy, thinking of the new life that would form there after they'd left behind this life. "Now tell me that you love me," he whispered with a tired, but satisfied smile.
gpt
In his arms, lips against hers, in the aftermath of his promise, she believed him implicitly; indeed, she had no real reason to think he was lying to her - lying and deceit were simply not ideals that were part of their relationship. So when his whispered voice told her everything would be fine, she believed it. The Harrowing was still a terrifying thought, and one she knew she'd still feel nervous and scared about as time passed; and yet, most of the magesdidcomplete their Harrowing and move on from being mere apprentices. But now, the most important thing was Cayden, and their kiss deepened a little, yet still chaste and loving. She was almost embarrassed that she had practically fallen to pieces in his arms, and that her own words and actions - she'dneverpulled away from him before! - had hurt him as much as she herself had been hurting. But when he sunk to his knees, looking up at her, his grey eyes filled with reverence and love, she knew that everything was forgiven between them, if indeed there was anything to even forgive.
As Cayd pressed a kiss to the flat of her stomach, Ari took in a soft, surprised breath, her lips curving into a smile so radiant her very skin seemed to shine in the candle-lit library. Her hand rested atop his dark curls, smoothing his hair and caressing him, the soft and slow movement filled with nothing but love and happiness. The dreams they shared, of their life on the farmstead off the beaten road and hidden within fae-like woods, the children, the freedom... it was still tinged with something like sadness. But with his previously whispered words, and the worship, for want of a better word, he showed to her, and to the idea of her becoming the mother of his children someday, she could almost believe that itwouldhappen. A grand escape, stealing away in the dark of their night, Cayd using his position as Templar to somehow destroy her phylactery - never mind it was likely heavily guarded somehow -, she would be disguised as a Chantry sister, maybe, just in case. It would be exhilarating, exciting, ...terrifying... and yet, with Cayd, she knew she would be able to weather it. And then, they would settle somewhere quiet, peaceful. The walls of their cottage would be thin, covered in decorative paper. A garden, walled - but the walls wouldn't be too high or thick; she could never again live in place where the walls were too thick, or too high. And then, their children; the boys would be older, maybe twins if that trait ran in Cayden's family.
As Aria gazed down as Cayden and his whispered demand, she returned the smile as she leant down and gently grasped his arm. She directed it to the spot where his lips had pressed to her belly, as if by doing so he would somehow be able to feel their future children there. Itwouldhappen, she had to believe that itwouldhappen. "I love you, Cayden Amberstern." She bent at the hip to press a kiss to the top of his head as if she were a queen bestowing a token upon a favourite subject. One day, she might take his name, make their bonding official - though his name was not what she cared for, even if it might have weight in the noble scene. But if they were living apart from all of that, why should it matter? "I love you, and I love our dreams: I love our cottage, and my garden, and there's your little shed as well; and Ciaran and Tyrel will always want to try on your armour even though it's far too big for them. Mari likes to read by the river - you built a bench from a fallen willow just for the quiet moments she needs." It was the first time she'd mentioned the names she'd thought of for their future children, and she finished her spoken daydream with a sigh, though the moment was, unlike the previous daydream, was purely happy.
Itwouldhappen. It had to.
human
If Cayden had any lingering doubts about Aria's state of mind, they were all whisked away when he felt her small fingers twirling in his curls and playing with them. They were a much needed relief after the tumultuous affair of emotions they'd both went through, and as he kissed her stomach through the sheer of her robe, the Templar could practically feel the smile radiating from her face. She looked so beautiful, smiling down at him as majestically as one possibly could, and that look of pure love and happiness in her eyes, the unfiltered, unguarded raw emotion she displayed to him that was enough for him to absolve himself of any guilt over deceiving her. He did this for her own good, and he'd succeeded. And her declaration of love, her submission to his demand, couldn't have lit a brighter flame in the templar's soul, and the heat of love that had dulled between them earlier now roared back into a triumphant inferno. "I love you too, Aria Siward," he answered back, a smile of the happiest man in the world plastered onto his lips.
And it only widened when she bent down at the waist (though not very far admittedly, considering their heights) to kiss his forehead, like a queen gives favour to her devoted knight, or a goddess upon her most loyal acolyte. His grey eyes simply observed as she brought his hands to her stomach where he had kissed her, pressing gently on her skin. And when she began to speak again, painting a picture of their future - and Maker, it was such a beautiful picture - he let himself be drawn along with the story, his mind weaving images of a little cottage in the midst of fae woods, surrounded in every direction with green grass and colourful flowers. Aria's little walled garden, where she grows all kinds of vegetables for food and herbs for her spellcraft. His private shed, where he would display his armour and weapons and devote the paraphernalia of worship to the Maker. And then... and then...
Cayden looked up with a teary smile, and gradually rose to tower over Aria, his hands still over her stomach, holding her possessively. "You've thought of names for them...?" he whispered in elated astonishment, unable to even close his mouth, his eyes sparkling with wonder like the light of a thousand stars. A gentle giant, he was, and he leaned down to place a kiss on her nose as he rolled those beautiful names in his mind over and over again. "Ciaran and Tyrel... strong names, for boys who would become strong men. Are they twins? They would be troublesome little kids, with Tyrel taking after your sense of humour and Ciaran the boldness. They'd run around your little garden, bothering you while you tend to your herbs, and try to sneak into my shed even after countless warnings." A wistful sigh escaped him, and as he looked into Ari's eyes, he could see nothing but pure happiness and a joy, their little dream no longer tainted by fears of a broken future.
"And Mari... it echoes of your own name. Would she have a full name? Hmm, little Mari, reading on a bench carved from a fallen willow. She's a sweet, soft-spoken girl, preferring to read poetry and play among the flowers rather than play swordfighting with her brothers." Already, Cayden could tell that little Mari would be the apple of his eye, the second woman he ever loves in his life. Perhaps she would be a mage, along with her brother Ciaran. Aria would teach them all they need to control their magic and harness them for good, while Cayden trained the jubilant Tyrel how to hold a shield and swing a sword. They would live a peaceful life away from the worries of the world, protected from their pasts. Cayden would never let the circle get their hands on his precious children, if any of them happened to inherit their mother's gift. And through it all, in the centre of it, Aria, beautiful as ever even when she was a mother of three, smiling as majestically and freely as ever as she cooked and cleaned around the house, tended to the plants and chickens, read bedtime stories to the children. "Mari, Tyrel, and Ciaran... they're such beautiful names, Aria," he whispered, leaning down to capture her lips in a slow, sweet kiss that transcended time itself. "I love our dream as well. We wouldn't need anyone else... just our beautiful family in our own little world. Free from the worries and the pains of this world. We would live out our days there, Ari, until we're old and frail and grey. We would hold each other until our time comes and when it does, we will be in front of the hearthfire, wrapped in wolf furs win you in my arms, leaving this world peacefully for an eternity in the afterlife."
It would happen. It had to.
gpt
Soft, jubilant gales of giggles escaped Ari's smiling mouth as she nodded down at him, her red tresses flowing with the movement. The expression on his face, the pure, elated wonder in his grey eyes; it was mesmerising. She thought she could almost see his thoughts through those eyes, put into his mind from her whispered words. Every time she thought of their cottage on the small farmstead, she pictured something slightly different each time, though the general atmosphere was the same; sometimes the walls were covered with blue decorative paper, other times the paper was a mint green, small things such as that. But her garden, his shed, they were fixtures. She had an image in her mind of Cayd, eager to please, eager to oblige her whims and wants, laying brick after brick around her garden, and cheekily she thought it would be an even better image if he removed his tunic as he did so, working under the summer sun for her.
As Cayd rose, coming up from his knees with his hands still protectively on her stomach as if their child was already there, the top of his head over a foot taller than hers, her starry grey eyes following the movement intently, lovingly, his own expression made her feel as if her heart was about to burst straight out of her chest. Each rapid flow of blood in her veins seemed to reaffirm every ounce of love she'd realised she'd had for him since her early teens, when the two were blushing and stumbling around each other, trying not to look the fool in front of the other. "Of course I have," Ari whispered back, her voice playfully amused, as if the idea of thinking of names for children that didn't exist for a long time yet was the most natural thing in all the world to her. As his head dipped to brush his lips against her nose, she wriggled it slightly. As he offered his ideas on their son's names, Ari listened to him with as much wonder as she had seen in his eyes when he was on his knees. Of course the boys would be a lot of trouble at times; she could readily picture them scampering around her garden and accidentally kicking over her harvest basket. They wouldn't be badchildren, she was sure of that, and if they were indeed twins then the two of them had a lot of work on their hands. She hoped... that none of them would have magical abilities, if only for the risks that posed to young children, and the ever-present danger that the Circles posed. But, should it happen, between the two of them, she knew that neither would stand by and let anything, or anyone - demon, Templar, anything - harm their babies.
"Mari..." she echoed in a whisper. Marielle. Sweet, gentle and quiet, her father's favourite - though Ari was sure he wouldn't even admit that if he were being raked over hot coals. Cayden, protective and chivalrous as ever, his grey eyes turning stern if he noticed that the boys in the nearby village were noticing her. Maybe he'dtrynot to be too stern, but Ari knew him well enough.. Marielle Amberstern. "Marielle," Ari said, her hands trailing over the rough-spun tunic he wore, jus faintly able to feel the beat of his heart. She repeated their daughters name before continuing to speak. "She'll have your eyes..." and her voice trailed off into the small space between their faces, as Cayden leaned his head down again to take Ari's pink lips in a kiss that moved her so much in her core that she genuinely thought for a moment that she was floating a few centimetres from the stone beneath their feet. The kiss ended far too soon, as most of their kisses did, and Cayd's next words brought such a torrent of positive emotion to her that her legs buckled somewhat and her body fell against him - for real this time. Her small, smooth fingers grasped at the fabric of his tunic, though she knew his own arms would be enough support, now and always.
Her head against his chest, a shaking, almost silent exhale left her lips, almost overwhelmed with the happiness she felt, and the truth of their future in his words; though for a moment she did feel her stomach twist a little, but it was the idea that eventually they would die. But, as Cayden shared with her, when they did, they would pass from this life, the life that despite all of the hate and adversity against them, they found each other in, and into the eternity holding hands; leaving behind their grown-up children who would hopefully have had children of their own, and thus their life together would not end as just some forbidden series of trysts in what was effectively prison, but would carry on through their legacy as an example of a true, deep, passionate love.
Aria had told herself earlier she would cry in front of Cayden. This was different though, different from the need to scream, pull at her hair, let out the soul-crushing wracking sobs. In this moment, though, she found herself, in Cayd's arms, sobbing; the tears soon wet his tunic, and she quickly looked up so that he would be able to discern her emotions this time around were not centered around immeasurable sadness. Through the rapid, happy tears, she said his name, though it came out as more of a hiccup, her expression fixed with a wide, blazing smile.
human
"Marielle," Cayden repeated after Ari, the name of their would-be daughter echoing endlessly in his jubilant mind. Marielle Amberstern. It was unique, beautiful in its own way, with an elven air to it that would be reminiscent of her mother's heritage. Cayden felt a bit guilty for having chosen a favorite among children not even born yet, but at this moment, he couldn't care less he felt as if it all were real, if ithadcome true. He would try not to show too much favouritism of course; he would still heckle the boys with terrible jokes until they roll their eyes in exasperation, and train them well to be fine warriors one day, ones who would protect the weak with all their capacity. It was something his own father wanted for Cayden, but the old man didn't have the decency to do it himself. He admired the thought process though, and he promised to himself he would be the father he wished he had.
Of course, with little Marielle, things would be different. He did not know if she would enjoy playing with swords or chopping wood with him, being a girl. Maybe she would prefer someone who could braid her hair and play tea parties with her, or whatever normal girls do growing up. Cayden was decidedly not skilled in either braiding hair or tea partying, but he would learn how to comb, style, twist and curl any kind of hair if it meant he could spend more time with his daughter. Aria could be his test subject. Woodworking was not a skill he had ever expressed interest in either, but he would learn it, so he could carve a bench out of a fallen willow for Mari to read poetry on. He would build a bookshelf that covered the whole wall, so that Ari could place all her old books and tomes on it. And on the opposite wall, layers of shelves where she could store her herbs and specimens. He would make little wooden figurines for the children to play with; people of legend, wild animals and mythical creatures, swords, staves, shields, anything his precious children asked for, he would give them. They would have to sacrifice so much, work so hard to get to that point in life. Cayden would do almost anything to give his family a peaceful, happy life, and his children a childhood they could smile back on.
"And she will have your smile," the templar finished his mage lover's sentence for her, right after they'd broken apart from a kiss that left him feeling dazed and smiling in all the right ways, his lips still pressed against hers. And when she shuddered and fell into his chest at his words, he would hold her close, his hand gently rubbing along her back and peppering little kisses on the top of her head, giving her all the love and comfort she would need. The crackle of energy in the air, fuelled by love and lust and desire and sadness and hope, it was all overwhelming to the point that Cayden could almost taste it. Everything he had ever wanted in his life, his hopes, dreams, ideals, fears, his whole identity, was sealed in the pretty little thing smooshed in his arms.
So of course, when Ari started to cry softly again, Cayd was instantly worried. He moved to gently hold her, wanting to ask what was wrong, but when she looked up with those wide, beautiful eyes and a smile that could've put the light of a thousand suns to shame, Cayden knew that nothing was. In fact, everything had gone right this time. He could only find happiness and pure joy in Aria's gleaming face, almost radiant that she lit up the darkened library, sobbing and hiccupping but the happiest he'd seen her in such a long, long time. All because of one simple promise, one simple assurance that he would protect her no matter what, and that their little dream would come true one day. His own thin lips curled upwards in a happy smile, laughing good-naturedly with the way Ari's tears fell, thumbing away the streaks affectionately and with care.
"Oh, Ari... " he crooned, gently rubbing her hair and holding her close, letting her empty her tears into his tunic as much as she needed to, content to be a silent companion while she let out her tears of joy. Deep down, he knew just how lucky he was to have her with him here, opening her heart and all her thoughts to him without a care. Cayden knew there would be no one else like her, and he fancied that their love was so deep and strong it transcended lifetimes. In previous lives, they had always found and loved each other, and would do so in the next lives and the next, until the very cycle of the world comes to an end. And until that day comes, Cayden would love Aria, forever and always.
Yet, their precious night together was timed, as they were so rudely reminded of when the old bell in the tower chimed as the clock struck twelve, signaling the day had changed. Reluctantly, he looked down at Aria, his lips pursed in defeated resignation to the fact that they would have to part soon. "It's midnight," he whispered softly, his tone still soft and loving, but now tinged with sadness at the thought of having to lose her. There was no need to voice what they both had to do, so instead, he gave her one last kiss, gently lifting her up by her waist and holding her in the air as he tasted those beautiful pink lips. "Thank you. For being with me tonight, Ari. It was... it was amazing," he said smilingly. With that, he slowly lowered her to the ground, finally breaking apart fully from her body for the first time in hours. Intent on making the most of their last minutes, he helped her get dressed and fix her, all the while laughing and kissing, before he himself put on his breeches and armour. The two parted with wistful smiles on their faces, their night together just another secret the old library would hold in its aged halls.
One week later
"That's what I'm saying. All chantry sisters are lesbians."
Cayd rolled his eyes until they were at the back of his head; good thing he was wearing his helmet. Mercer was spewing shit again, and it took all the self-restraint in the world for Cayden to not tell him to shut up. Hierarchy was sacred among the Templars, and that meant that Mercer, being a good decade or so older than Cayd and his partner Callum, was able to do and say almost whatever he wanted in front of them not be held accountable. It didn't help that he also seemed to be a favorite of Knight-Commander Greagoir's. "Why?" was the young man's dry, single response to the crass statement, but that seemed to be enough fuel for the older templar.
"Because," he began, as if he were berating a child,"think about it. They spend all their time locked up in these boring halls, sworn into their oaths of chastity. How can they not develop something for other women, eh? Not that I blame them."
"But... by that logic, wouldn't that mean all the templars are gay as well? We'll also locked up in a boring tower, and we're also sworn into oaths of chastity and poverty."piped up Cullen, who had been completely silent so far.
Cayden let out a small snicker at that, but kept his silent, vigilant watch, content to just see Mercer struggle with an appropriate rebuttal to the question, and fail miserably. In truth, Cayden couldn't care less if the chantry sisters were lesbian or not; he was more pissed at having his ear drums tortured over the course of the whole twelve hours of their watch, unable to daydream and relive his night with Aria from a week ago. He could still taste her lips upon his, smell her spicy, citrus scent upon his clothes, though it was most likely a trick of the mind. Thankfully, his brothers fell silent soon after, and Cayd gladly let himself be dragged away into a fantasy, of their little cottage in the woods, little Marielle, troublesome Ciaran and Tyrel, and of course, Aria.
Yet, peace would not be on his menu, because goddamned Mercer piped up again, this time tapping his armour and pointing at a gaggle of apprentice girls who were walking towards them.
"Hey. Psst. Little lordling. Look at those buxom lasses. Pretty little things, all of 'em, eh? Especially that red-haired knife-ear."
That immediately captured Cayden's attention, and instantly, he felt his blood boil as he realised he was pointing at none other than his beloved Aria. "She has a name, Mercer," he said curtly, bristling at the racism and barely keeping his gauntlet-clad fists from rearranging his helmetless, ugly face. Mercer did not notice any of this of course. He was a tad too busy ogling Aria's ass.
"Ladies! Where are all of ya going? I hope you all weren't going to pass by without saying hello to your friendly templars," he shouted, strutting over to the group with the confidence of a peacock.
gpt
Ari walked through the halls of the Tower, somewhat bleary-eyed from bending over yet another yellowed, brittle-paged tome, filled with the properties of varying plants to be found all over Fereldan. It was where she excelled, and drying, cutting and crushing herbs was one of the few things she enjoyed doing - though it paled on comparison to the time she spent with Cayd. A smile crossed her lips, as it had many times throughout the day so far, even when she was trying her best to concentrate on the uses of rue and valerian. Rachel and Elena, two other apprentices who were studying for their own exams, often noted these enigmatic smiles, though Ari brushed them off as if they were the product of thinking of passing the exam. She'd left the classroom with the two girls, her copy of Yevana's Herbal Compendium in her arms, her mind half focussed on their conversation, and the look in Cayd's eyes as she'd told him the names of their future children.
For the most part, the presence of Templars was a given; faceless, stoic beings, they hovered over and guarded practically ever inch of Kinloch Hold. Aria generally ignored them on principle; no other Templar but Cayd (and fine, she had to admit that Cullen was not as bad as some of the others, either) really had any attraction for her. Throughout the years, she'd learned not to look up at the helmet of every Templar for fear of gaining unwanted attention - though luckily, Cayd was so much taller than most of them that often she could very literally see him coming. Even though they could not openly acknowledge each other every time they passed, she would walk a little closer to him, brushing the side of her arm against him, and if he was alone, or with Cullen, he would take the opportunity to dip his head in her direction, and she could imagine the way his eyes crinkled with happiness and lips curved into a smile as she passed. It was, truthfully, exhausting at times. Though they made up for with when they finally spent time together.
And now Aria removed herself from the conversation with the other apprentices entirely as she sunk back into her memories of him. Smile gracing her lips, the very apples of her cheeks ever so red, the daydream was violently shattered as a leery voice echoed across the hallway towards the group of apprentices. Ari, looking up so quickly she felt a crack in her neck, held her books closer to her chest, lips tightening. Rachel and Elena had much the same reaction, for Mercer had been the one to call out to them, and was striding towards them, his stupid helmet-less face wearing a disgusting smirk.
Maker, Maker, give me the fucking strength to deal with this arsehole, Aria prayed to herself silently. Nowhere near as devout as Cayd, her religion was only surface deep. And yet she still asked the Maker to intervene. For Mercer was a strong example of a man who knew no love, no respect, no goodness, and yet still had such a position of power over the mages, vulnerable and unable to fight back without running the risk of dangerous consequences. Ari had faced his unwanted attentions before, though she'd heard worse of him than just catcalling and wandering hands, and the elf looked over at Elena - poor thing, her face was sheet white. Ari stepped in front of her, the usually open expression on her face as defiant as she felt she could get away with. She didn't know the specifics of her 'interactions' with Mercer, but Maker damn her if she was just going to let him continue to terrorise her friend.
This was definitely one of those moments Aria regretted being incredibly tiny; she puffed herself to her highest height, all 5" of it, and knew she probably looked ridiculous against the menacing presence that was Mercer. Ari's voice was clipped, expression one of utter no-nonsense - she'd learned that as a young age from Wynne who, even through all of her maternal instincts, was as tough as old leather. "Leave usalone, Mercer," she said, even as a beat of fear stabbed her heart. Talking back to the Templars, any of them - with one, maybe two exceptions - could be a dangerous endeavour. It could be seen as rebellious, inciting; and those were words which did not go well next to the wordmage. Many of the Templars were quietly compliant in the myriad of abuses the mages faced - either duty or lack of compassion prevented them from speaking up. Only a handful were ever outwardly sympathetic, and even then only when it was deemed that a fellow Templarhad beenincredibly out of hand. Even fewer still were truly cruel, and Aria thanked the Maker every time she heard a snatch of news from the Circle in Kirkwall; she would have likely killed herself already had she had to live in those conditions. It was unfortunate, too, that even when injustices were done towards mages - many of them young women, new of the Tower and vulnerable - that proof was scarce. Templars were oft believed over mages, and even if the First Enchanter tried to seek some kind of redress on behalf of a mage, the close-knit Templar culture was often so pervasive that the names of those Templars who had been so abusive were not shared. And so, nothing would be done. She would have stood behind Elena with the full force of her belief and love for the girl, should she have stood up and told anyone about it. But Elena was terrified, and Aria understood.
"We're busy," she continued, feeling Rachel and Elena shuffle backwards behind her a little, and the fear stabbed at her again. She didn't blame them for moving away, wanting to withdraw themselves entirely from Mercer's leering and hard hands; as far as she knew, they didn't have anyone like Cayd to kiss away their tears and pat the fingermarked bruises with a soothing balm like she did. In fact, so focussed was she on Mercer, on trying to make her presence a beacon for the other girl's to use to escape, that she didn't look past the helmet-less Templar; she would have known Cayd stood a little further back, standing at least half a foot taller than the other Templar beside him. Though, had she known... well, it wasn't as if he would have been able to do anything about it.
human
Cayden would be the first to admit that the Templars were a flawed bunch. There was no way they couldn't be, when they were taken as young boys and molded into faceless soldiers in the name of service to the Maker. They had no fathers to look up to, only harsh weaponmasters who would starve them if they misbehaved. No mothers to sing them to sleep, only Chantry Elders who forced the Chant of Light into their memories before they could properly hold a sword. Cruelty begets more cruelty, and it shouldn't come as a surprise that some of his brothers carried some ugly tendencies indeed, and hid those behind their helms. Every Andrastian Circle had templars to watch over the mages, any relatively speaking, Kinloch Hold wasn't that bad of a place. Mages were kept in separate cells in the Gallows in the Kirkwall Circle, a literal prison. At least here, mages were allowed to live a relatively peaceful, if boring life surrounded by their peers.
And in every Circle, there were bound to be 'bad' templars. Just as there are mages who would use their abilities for harm, there were templars who use their position of power over the mages for less than noble purposes. It was a sad fact of life in the Tower, and most people, mages and templars alike, did not speak up for the injustices happening in these walls for fear of repercussion. Cayden was guilty of this well. It was better to endure some harsh words and some crass touches than get into an altercation in front of everyone. Aria herself was a victim of some catcalling and inappropriate touches, and Cayden always had to kiss her tears away later, not defend her publicly. After all, they should not let a few bad apples spoil the bunch. Deep down, Cayden wanted to believe that the Templars were good. He wanted to believe that they were indeed the noble warriors they were reputed to be.
But Mercer... well, Mercer was a different case. There were rumours, unsavoury rumours, flying about that whispered of his 'misadventures'. It was well-known that he had little regard for decency with women, whether they were mages or fellow templar sisters, though the total lack of female templars at Kinloch Hold meant all of his attention went to the mages. Behind closed walls, in their barracks below the mages' quarters in the Towers, he spoke of some truly awful thing about the women, human and elven alike, that made Cayden sick to the stomach. But he never spoke up or raised a hand, because it was what he had been trained to do. But when he noticed that he was walking towards Aria's friends, and that it was Aria himself rebuffing him, Cayden felt a deep pit of fear in his stomach. Immediately, he turned and edged towards the group, though it was unclear even to himself what he was trying to do.
See, Mercer had a formula to his little games. He liked women who were rebellious, who had a mouth on them. He'd told Cayden and the others himself. And he always singled out and picked on a single mage to harass and was mostly given free rein to do so. Greagoir was all too happy to turn a blind eye and Irving was frankly too soft to defend his own charges. And up until a month ago, his attention had been focused on Aria's friend, Elena. She also had a quick tongue and sharp wit, and she resisted the templar vehemently, throwing every insult imaginable to his face when pushed. And then about a month ago, she stopped. No more sassy comebacks, no more hard glares. She just stared to the ground when Mercer was near, and took the abuse without uttering a word. There were rumours and speculations about what really happened to her, but to anyone with any semblance of intelligent thought, it was all too clear what Mercer had done to her when she came back with torn clothes and a face so bruised she couldn't even cry properly.
The mages were confused as to what happened, but the templars all knew exactly what happened, even without Mercer uttering a word about it. Yet no one acted up. Not even Cayden. And he doubted Elena herself would speak up. Most girls unfortunately didn't. And now, with Aria spitting venom at him, Cayden feared she would be painting a target on her back.
"Busy? You seem pretty free to me, just traipsing around the Tower as if you own the place. Is that right, little knife-ear?" The bastard got closer, his stature towering over the girls, and more noticeably over Aria, who, despite her attempts to look tall, did not grow higher than her full 5'."Come on, loosen up a little. We just want to have a little fun! It gets boring standing around all day, right boys?" he called back to Cayden and Cullen, met with silence for an answer. Cullen, seemingly having sensed Cayden's growing worry and anger, attempted to warn him by uttering his name, but it was all for naught-- Cayd was already making his way towards them, if only to distract him so Aria could leave. His heart beat a thousand times a second, fear a phantom that was only inches away from consuming him.
But the fear was drowned out by fury after what happened next.
"And what are you doing, hiding this tight arse under all those robes? You're thicker than the whores in Denerim!" he sneered, just as his hand came down to forcefully grab at Aria's backside. Cayden's own helmet went clattering to the ground, no longer caring about concealing who he was. His sole purpose was to let his fist kiss Mercer's face now, preferably repeatedly, until he was bloodied and whimpering like the dog he is. The first strike connected with a satisfying crunch right on his jaw, the ache in his knuckles pacified by the adrenaline. His black hair fell in strands upon his face, masked by fury and a manic frenzy, and landed a second and a third blow to his nose, dislocating it before he finally came back to some semblance of control.
"Fuck off, Mercer," he uttered through his teeth, raising his fist for a fourth against the coughing, cursing older templar, his eyes momentarily flicking to Aria as if telling her to leave.
gpt
Aria would have been the first to admit that she could be an open book when it came to showing her emotions. She felt strongly about almost all of her feelings, especially ones that threatened to overtake her mind; the mixture of happiness and sadness that had swelled inside her bosom that night with Cayd in the hushed library was a good example of that. And at times, too, her humour made her laugh until she could barely breathe and she had to wipe away the tears. And now, in this moment, she understood what it meant when people got so angry that they 'saw red'. Beneath her skin, her blood ran hot and furious, heart hammering in her chest as the fear and anger combined. Her lips curled up, not so much in a smile, much a sort of sneer. Mercer disgusted her, and she could feel, in every throb of her heart, the injustice of a walking pile of scum such as him was given so much power to abuse.
The racism in Mercer's words was almost inconsequential. It wasn't as if she could do anything about her race; cutting off the tips of her ears wouldn't erase the slurs and the heritage behind her existence. It was Mercer's hands, the cold, hungry expression in his eyes as he loomed over her. For a moment, Aria thought her legs would give out beneath her as she leaned her head back to look up at the monster in the Templar's armour. She was waif-like, compared to him; her base survival instincts told her to back away, dial back the rebellion in her face, in her voice. But the anger and disgust was too deep. She had been there when Elena, her robes torn, face red, black, blue, limped back into their quarters late one night; she had been there as the once so outspoken and bubbly brunette mage withdrew into a shell of her former life, one that only recently some of the old parts of her were peeking back out of. And Aria had been there when she'd heard stories of other mages, other Templars - many of the incidents not coming anywhere close to what Elena had gone through, though Elena, to this day, refused to go into specifics. Aria wasn't stupid, though. Though perhaps in this instance, she let her emotions overcome her common sense, for she stood her ground.
So it shouldn't have been surprising, perhaps, when Mercer's large, gauntleted hand planted itself firmly on her plump arse. A gasp slipped from her lips, her hold on her Yevana's Herbal Compendium slipping to the floor, several slightly torn pages falling out and scattering on the concrete beneath her feet, though her face twisted in fury as she tried to step from his disgusting hand. She opened her pink lips to say something, when her attention was completely captured by one of the other Templars approaching - just as he removed the helmet, she knew who it was, the height alone, even compared to Mercer, was a dead giveaway, and her stomach contracted painfully.
Before all assembled, Cayd's fist landed heavily on Mercer's jaw, the force behind it knocking the brute away from Aria, and before Mercer could react, before the other Templars around could even step forward, her lover struck Mercer a second time, a third, upon which a cracking sound could be hurt and spurts of blood sprayed from Mercer's nose. Rachel, blinking out of her worried stupor, grabbed at Elena's arm, who was watching with a stolid pacifism, face still white, before pulling the woman away. The further away the mages were from this, the better, and Aria's wide, fury-filled greys met with Cayd's, the anger mirrored in his. In that instant, Ari got the message he was trying to convey, and for just a moment her body shifted as if to follow his unspoken instruction. But it was strange - she wasn't stupid, she knew Cayden would be so so much trouble after this, an unspeakable amount of trouble. Not just for fighting, but Mercer having superiority over him made it all the more serious. And not only that, but he'd made a public show of sympathy for the mages, and even worse... in doing so, made it clear of his partiality towards her. So, she knew that she should go, recollect herself, ready for whenever they came for her statement on what happened, down-playing the relationship between herself and Cayd as being nothing more than a passing closeness due to their being given to the Circle at such young ages.
But as Cayd's fist rose again in preparation to hit Mercer a fourth time, the venom she felt towards the coughing, bleeding man in front of her spilled forth from her lips before she could even control it, and it was highly unlikely she would have stopped herself even if she could. Her expression, usually lovely and laughing, was twisted into one of triumphant derision, aimed at Mercer with the full force of her rage. "You fucking monster," she hurled the words at him, hissing like an angry cat, tiny hands clenched into balls and her nails sinking deep into the palms of her hands. "You deserve that, and worse, youanimal. Standing there like you're a fucking big man, using and abusing your power." Aria wasn't aware of the crackle in the air around her, from her, her emotions running so high she felt as though she could mentally flick a switch in her head and immolate the bastard in front of her.
Magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him.
The Templars nearby, trained from tender ages to perceive and counter magic, would be able to sense it, too, and that alone should have caused Aria to stop, think for a moment, eke back her self-control. It was dangerous for her, a mage, to get so angry, to be on the verge of losing her self-control, but her mind kept playing the expression on the faces of both Elena and Cayden. "I hope you fuckingchoke. You act so tough cause you're angry about your life, about your tiny dick you can't even use without beating the shit out of a woman first, right? Can't get off without hurting someone, yeah? Scum - you're fuckingscum!" The last word came out like a jeering laugh, haggard and raw, and then it was just the silence, punctuated by her harsh gasps of air and the groans from Mercer. The enormity of what she'd said, what she'd done, the way her dissipating lack of control would make her seem like a threat, still not hitting her.
human
Rage is a terrible thing, and unfortunately for Cayden, it came to him as naturally as breathing. Another gift from his father perhaps. Most of the time, he kept it in check just as mages used their magic to serve them and not rule over them, Cayden too refrained from letting his anger dictate his actions. But once it comes out, it comes in waves, unstoppable and destructive like torrents crashing down from a broken dam, and Cayden found himself wanting tohurtMercer more and more every time the metal of his gauntlet connected with his face. Maybe it had been a long time coming his pent up guilt over not speaking up for many of the atrocities he'd committed, his fury over the many other times Mercer and the others had abused Aria, both verbally and physically. This one was the straw that broke the camel's back; seeing his lecherous smile as he laid his disgusting hands on Aria's precious body was enough to send him over the edge.
He heard Aria screaming, shouting, jeering, calling him scum. If he was of a rational mind, he would've stopped right there and then and got Aria out of there, knowing she won't listen to him if she just told her so. But the pain and hurt in her voice it broke something inside Cayden. She was right. Mercer... men like him, they werescum. Suddenly, images of Aria - bruised and battered, face red, black and blue, robes torn haggardly, her beautiful red hair disheveled - flooded his mind, and it chilled him to the very bone how easily Aria could've been subjected to Elena's face at Mercer's hand. With the way the bastard groping at her, he very well might already be planning his sick game. This thought, combined with Aria's own spiteful words, acted as fuel for his unending barrage. A fourth, right across his cheek, leaving a large gash where his gauntlet slashed him. A fifth, further dislocating his broken nose. A sixth, giving his jaw a nice wiggle. A seventh
"Cayden, that's enough!"
It was Cullen, pulling him by his shoulders and dragging him away from the bloodied man, his broken face looking akin to a purple potato. Blood spurted everywhere and pooled beneath him, coming out of his nose and mouth and the gash on his cheek. It brought a sickening sense of satisfaction to him, and as he was being pulled away, he gaze fell on Aria, standing stiff as a statue with her hands balled into fists and her eyes alight with hatefulness. Seeing her like this should've made him worry for her both her friends were now gone, and more than likely that others would be arriving soon. He should be urging her to leave after she didn't listen to him the first time. But he didn't. He liked that, for once, he was able to protect her. He wanted her to see it. And his anger transferred to Cullen, shoving him away backhandedly in an adrenaline-filled rage. Rising to his full height, he towered over his blond templar friend, and jabbed an accusing finger to his cuirass. "You're pullingmeaway? You fucking coward." Every word seethed with venom, though most of it was supposedly meant for Mercer, but as lost as he was in his rampage, Cayden continued to grill into Cullen. "How would you feel ifyourwoman was the one that got abused and molested andrapedby this monster? Would you still hold back then? Would you still grovel to him knowing he broke her face to the point where she can't even weep properly?"
Cayden couldn't see his expression under the helmet - that was what they were supposed to do, after all - but he could almost feel the fear an trepidation seeping out from under it. With one final shove that backed him against the wall, he turned back to Mercer, who was now on his fours and coughing out blood, holding his face and groaning like a beaten dog. Unable to help himself, he kicked him right across the face, the sickening crunch of a jaw being pried out of place ringing out around the silent hall, knocking Mercer completely out and flat on his back. A deafening silent fell over after that, only Cayden's breathing the only sound to permeat the silence, and only then did the young Templar realise the extent of what he'd done.
With no one around, he rushed over to Aria, hurriedly undoing his gauntlets so he wouldn't bloody her when touching her. He held her hands desperately, wanting to kiss away her pain right this instant, wanting to wash away the places where Mercer had touched her, but right now, they had to be sensible. "Aria. Ari. You have to leave," he whispered through ragged breaths, his whole body shaking with both exertion and a newfound creeping sense of fear, fear of repercussions for both of them for what he'd done. "You have to leave,now. I... we'll deal with this."
Did he believe his own words? Not truly. He was scared his defense (even if he had one) wouldn't stand against Mercer's word. He was scared Cullen wouldn't be on his side after what he'd said to him. And most of all, he was scared his punishment for this would be being separated from his beloved Aria, for he had shown partiality to a mage, and 'illicit relations' between the two were vehemently detested by the elders. Still, through all that, he could think of nothing but to find comfort in his lover's quivering pink lips, and he did so by capturing them in a quick, desperate kiss, grabbing her waist and pulling her agaisnt him.
gpt
Aria's heart beat a fury in her chest as she ran out of words, out of breath, her nails leaving indents into the smooth palms of her tiny hands. She wanted, so desperately, to get in a few punches of her own, or slaps, or something, but her feet felt stuck to the concrete floor, as if she'd grown roots that tunneled deep down into the storage caves. Cayd, his breathing ragged, seemed to pause for a moment - but again, andagain, andagain, his gauntleted hands connected solidly with Mercer's face, which was turning impressively and disgustingly pulpy and red. As each blow hit, the sound it made was a sound of validation and satisfaction for Ari. It was long overdue; though given the circumstances it was clear how such a man could go through the Tower stalking and hurting women as he chose. And she knew, that for Cayden, there was an element of guilt too -for so long he'd stood by silently. He'd had to. He could have hardly said or done anything about it.
Until now, anyway.
Aria saw that Cayd was pulling back his fist for a seventh blow, but it was stopped as the second helmeted Templar forcibly pulled Cayd back; now she knew it was Cullen, from his voice, and she felt another twist in her heart, her face twisted into a feral grimace. A coward, a coward and a hypocrite. Cullen, like Cayd, had a secret lover, he too was 'fraternising' with a mage. He, too, should have been angry - more than angry, enraged, just as Cayden was. And it hurt even moreso as Cullen was friendly with Ari, was Cayd's closest 'brother'. Yet, Ari thought, her internal monologue laced with venom, he doesn't have a balls to stand up for what was right. Cayd seemingly had the same train of thought, and a flush of pride rushed through her at him, his words, and for a moment the twin grey eyes of both Templar and mage glared daggers into Cullen's helmet;let him feel the shame of doing nothing, Aria thought. Her lover, pushing Cullen backwards into the wall turned back to the feebly rocking body of his superior, and Aria felt a grisly satisfaction coil in her belly as Cayd's foot kicked Mercer solidly in the jaw, the crack echoing through the hall, and the older man was still.
Then it was over.
A coldness began to seep into her nerve endings, expression turning into one of outright horror as the adrenaline dropped away; she only just now noticed how her magic had started to crackle around her, and she quickly dropped the fire spell her brain had been so close to unleashing upon Mercer. The only sounds now were Cayd's harsh breaths, and from somewhere else in the Tower, steadily increasing in volume, were the sounds of several pairs of sabatons on the approach. Ari suddenly felt nauseated, the sensation curling in her stomach and threatening to rise. Cayden hurried over to her, removing his gauntlets so that Mercer's blood wouldn't stain her, and even as the panic started to set in, she noticed that, how even in this moment he was being considerate with her. She looked up at him in stark terror - for herself, for him. The repercussions for them both were going to be severe, and even if Cayden and Cullen swore to Andraste that Aria had done nothing, said nothing, Mercer would be seeking bloody revenge for this. There was a target on her back now, and Cayd's punishment would almost certainly not allow him the time or means to be around her, to protect her. The thought of Mercer looming over her, his bandaged face glaring down at her, his hands reaching out for her - she felt her gorge rise and had to swallow down the bile.
Cayd's hands took hers, and she could feel his trembling, smell the fear in his sweat. "Cayd..." she whispered, wanting to pull him close, wanting to not leave him to deal with this alone. But he was trying to protect her again, just as he already had done, and she gave him a shaky nod. "Okay. I... I love you, Cayd," she said, her voice trembling. His head dipped, towards hers, their lips meeting in a soft kiss - but it was tinged with a deep desperation, and Ari tried not to read it as a goodbye. Reluctantly, she ended the kiss, pulled away and took his hands from her waist and giving his strong hands a swift kiss, before bending to pick up her book and the pages that had fluttered out of them. The sounds of the Templars approach was close now, and she wanted to look back at Cayd - but she pressed her book against her chest and ran, ran up to the second floor, through the doors to the Chantry.
The Chantry was almost empty, a few lone mages sitting in silence and contemplation, and watched over by a Chantry sister whose name Ari couldn't remember. There were two Templars standing by, as well, and seeing them made Ari shiver. The Chantry sister looked up in disapproval as Ari came in hurriedly, and though her white was pale, Aria made herself look appropriately devout and humbled as she dropped into an empty pew and set her book aside. Her heart was still unsettled and, clasping her tiny hands together so hard her knuckles turned white, she silently moved her lips in prayer. Aria was not typically overtly devout; her parents were outwardly of the Andrastian faith, but her mother, who's own mother had been Dalish, had told her fantastical tales of the Elven Gods, which were much more interesting than some woman ending up being burned alive. Still, it was better to pretend to be faithful than to be atheist, and so Ari had learned a fair amount of the Chant of Light. She scrambled to remember some now, praying avidly for Cayden above all else.
O Maker, hear my cry:
Guide me through the blackest nights.
Steel my heart against the temptations of the wicked.
Make me to rest in the warmest places.
human
Aria had almost lost control too, if the flames licking at her frame were any indication. They fizzled out as soon as she regained some sense of control, and although Cayden would've loved nothing more to see her unleash her full potential, to get some sort of payback for what she and her friends had gone through, he was thankful she had not gone overboard and actually harmed him. So far, only he had laid his hands on Mercer. The Knight-Commander and the First Enchanter would not be able to implicate Aria no matter how hard they fucking tried, and that was enough. Mercer would be different story though; he would hold grudges, and now that Cayden had calmed down enough to think things through, he was almost certain he had made things worse for the both of them by beating the disgusting bastard within an inch of his life. And although it had been truly and utterly satisfying in those few moments when he was pummeling into his face, all Cayden felt now was horror and apprehension at what exactly he had done, and a fear of the consequences of his actions.
But Aria's shaken words, the absolute desperation in her eyes, the whispered profession of love... they reminded Cayd that he needed to stay strong, at least for a while longer, if only for Aria if nothing else. "I love you too, Ari," he whispered back, meeting her lips in a kiss that, while urgent and rushed, still filled Cayd with the strength and energy to continue to stand for a while longer. And although he would've loved nothing more than to hold her and keep her in his arms, he knew it would not be safe for her if she was with him when the other templars found him. Knight-Commander Greagoir had a talent for twisting things into his view, and First Enchanter Irving was so compliant he might as well bend over backwards for him while fellating him. "Go," he urged a final time, reluctantly drawing back his hands from her waists, watching crestfallen as she bent over to pick up her book and the pages that had flown out of it, scrambling to make it out of the halls before the fast approaching echoes of the sabatons arrived. He watched over her as she ran, wanting to run along with her but knowing he had to take responsibility, and as the last wisp of her crimson locks disappeared around a corner, the squadron of templars arrived from the other, led by none other than Greagoir and Irving.
Cayden closed his eyes and prayed.
Blessed are they who stand before
The corrupt and the wicked and do not falter.
Blessed are the peacekeepers, the champions of the just.
Was he one, though?
gpt
Over the past few weeks and a few days, Aria had tried hard to concentrate on her studies, the date of her exam looming ever and ever closer. At first, the fear of repercussions for herself and or Cayd put a damper over her thinking; her thoughts were disjointed, hands shaking and barely able to write formulae and notes legibly, fading out of conversations to the ire of her companions - of whom only Elena and Rachel had any idea of why, but even they didn't have the specifics. She'd had some of her freedoms removed in the aftermath of Cayd's beating of Mercer, which was surprisingly easy to deal with - she hadn't done anything wrong, or at least she hadn't hurt Mercer herself, and Cayd and Cullen must have attested to that, regardless of whatever Mercer might have claimed. And as an apprentice with an upcoming exam, she wasn't exactly considered a threat, either. No, most of her mental energy was spent on Cayden. In the days, she hadn't seen him, and she went through her tasks covered in fear sweat, thinking of the worst.
Her fears had been allayed by Cullen after the sixth day; Cullen, who seemed to be seeking forgiveness in his actions, approached her surreptitiously one day as she pored over the locations Royal Elfroot could be found, and told her Cayd had been relegated to a constant night shifts and heavy lifting of stock at the docks. Ari had wanted to jump up and down, the fear being immediately stripped from her; instead, she quietly thanked Cullen and returned to the book at hand. Even after that, though, concentrating was hard. Cullen kept up a small amount of communication between the two, for which she was grateful, but instead of fear she now felt herself consumed with a need, a need to see Cayden again. It was the longest she could remember that they'd gone without seeing each other, and the need was both physical and mental one. The sleepless nights were the worst, where she felt the desire that hadn't been released since that night in the library, and it felt like a lifetime.
Until today - on her way to the library for yet another studying session, she'd seen Cayden. Wearing his helmet, faceless, yet she knew it was him - his height was always a giveaway, but there was also something else, almost like a current between the two of them, and she wondered if he felt it too. A gasp left her lips softly as the distance between them got smaller, and smaller, and then he was within her grasp, and under his voice -that voice! It had been so long!- he said, words rapidly spoken: "If you're free at noon, viewpoint overlooking the lake." Heat bloomed through her small body, her cheeks flaming and she muttered her affirmation - and then the moment was over, and they were walking away from each other. Aria felt delirious. Maker's arse, if she would have struggled to concentrate on her word before this, there was no way she could focus now - and noon was two hours away yet. She'd just have to deal with it.
So when the bell rang through the Tower's walls, signalling noon, Ari forced herself to act normal, suppressing the urge to slam her book shut and simply run up to the overlook. But slow and steady she managed it, somehow. Clutching her book to her chest, head down as if demure, not to attraction attention, she made her way higher and higher through the Tower; at noon, a fair amount of people would be thinking of lunch, but not Aria, who was hungry for Cayden. The last few steps up towards the wooden door that lead to the overlook, where you could see the lake in all it's misty, hopeless glory, she couldn't help but run, pushing the door open with a few breathless gasps.
human
Two weeks. That was how long he was kept separated from Aria, condemned to continuous night shifts without rest and then hard labour moving stocks down at the docks during the day. It was a harsh punishment, one that was more severe than it sounded, but Cayden knew he was certainly lucky it ended there. Greagoir was most certainly not pleased with him beating his golden child into a pulp, and was hell-bent on sentencing him and the mage that sparked the altercation to something that wouldteach them a lesson. Thankfully, Cullen immediately jumped to Cayden's defense without hesitation, and Irving, for all his shortcomings, aided the two of them in downplaying Aria's involvement, stating she was a bright girl without any history of dissent, and that she was unlikely to be any sort of threat with her final exams coming up soon. It also helped that Mercer's jaw was a bit too busted for him to offer any sort of legible complaint. In the end, it seemed as if Cayden got the brunt of the punishment, with Cullen and Aria each getting slaps on the wrist, which while still ridiculous and unfair, was something the young templar could live with.
And so off he went, cast down to the basement of the tower to work like a common labourer. He didn't have a chance to talk to Aria before he was gone, and the first few days were literal hell for him, worrying what might happen to her if he wasn't there to protect her. It was only after he got to speak to Cullen after a few days that he learned her punishment was simply having some of her freedoms revoked, and that she was faring well in spite of things, Mercer still locked up in the infirmary to try anything. It came as a huge relief to Cayden, who was at least able to shed his mental burdens to focus on his physical ones. Cayden was not unfit; he was a soldier and a fighter after all, but he was not built for intense labour. A few days of continuous work would be draining enough, but a whole fourteen days? It was a high miracle he didn't break his back. By the end of the first week, he looked like a ragged corpse, the boy too tired to even shave or take care of himself properly during those precious moments to himself. Instead he spent them resting and dreaming of Aria, the taste of her sweet lips and spicy undertone to her scent, patiently waiting for him to return to her again. It was the anticipation, the assurance that she would be bounding up and down to see him again, that kept him going despite the almost overwhelming desire to just collapse to the ground.
But, some times the will beat the body, and as Cayden endured through the initial hurdles, his body adapted to the harsh demands. It wasn't too noticeable at first, but by the end of those two weeks he had visibly grown in muscle mass his once-average arms now sporting visible biceps, and his flat abdomen now having a somewhat sculpted look. Cayden would hardly consider his punishment to he a blessing, but there were still some silver linings to it, and when he came back to the tower after he had done serving, he looked quite the different man. He already stood out before for his height, and now he had the bulk to back it up. He wanted to run to Aria the moment he came back, but knowing that the other templars would be observing him closely now, he had to temper his urges, and spent the first two days back regaining his strength so he wouldn't have to slouch everywhere, literally sleeping like a baby.
And one day, after he was back to wearing his armour and helmet and serving as another faceless guard, he happened upon Aria, or rather she happened upon him, and seizing his chance, he reached out for her and told her to meet him that noon. It was a bit risky perhaps, but after being starved of her love for so long, not having been close to her since that sweet, intimate night in the library, Cayden was desperate to feel Aria again. And so, as noon approached, Cayden excused himself from his post under the pretence of going for lunch in the barracks, and instead made his way up to the intended meeting spot, a secluded hideout on top of the tower with a window offering a breathtaking view of the misty lake Calenhad beneath. He arrived a little early and took the chance to undo his gauntlets and his armour, wanting to feel every single touch he could. This time, he wore a nice white sleeveless shirt, perhaps cheekily thinking that Ari would appreciate his newfound ruggedness. And after that, he simply leaned against the window and looked out upon the mesmerizing view beaneath, waiting, wondering how such a serene place could hold such misery.
Until the door flew open and Aria came in panting and gasping. He immediately snapped to her, and overcome with emotions after seeing her again for so long, the last time having been the urgent, desperate kiss just before she had to leave the scene of crime, he crossed the room with ungodly speed and took the redhead's waist in his arms. "Aria," he called out desperately, wrapping his arms around her back and pulling her into a tight embrace, holding her as if he was a prisoner seeing a long lost lover for the first time in decades. Andraste's holy tits, she smelled so wonderful like her usual perfume, but mixed in with scents of fresh parchment and ink, as if she'd come to him straight from a class. "I missed you so much," he whispered into her ear, only pulling back after he'd gotten his share of hugging. He'd grown a small beard over the past two weeks, and had decided not to shave it off, at least, not before getting his lover's opinion. He gave her a dazzling smile, as if he hadn't spent the last few days sleeping like a dead man, and asked laughingly, "Like the beard, love? I was fancying myself some kind of rugged sailor."
gpt
Any thoughts of herbs and balms and poultices, the Fade and spirits and demons, Primal and Creation and Force magic - gone. Gone the second she saw Cayden's familiar figure in front of her, his armour in a heap on the floor. Her heart leapt to her throat, the book now useless as she dropped it carelessly to the floor with a crack. Her legs wouldn't move as fast as she wanted to, and it was lucky that Cayd was also closing the distance between them, for within a foot of him, her feet tangled themselves together and she fell forwards, into his waiting arms, circling around her dainty waist and pulling her close. Ari leaned her head back, face covered in tears which left lines across her skin, smile radiant.
"Cayd!" she cried, her voice jubilant and cracking with emotion. "Cayden," Ari's voice trembled away into elated giggles, her mind full of nothing but him, his face, his stance, his smell. He'd changed a bit since she'd last seen him, she noted, not in the least with him now sporting a beard, as curly and as dark as the hair atop his head. It was very.... she liked it a lot, and she felt her stomach coil with a deep hunger, exacerbated by the length of time they'd spent apart, and as an answer her hands came up to rest each side of his face, where her small fingers ran over and played with the newly-grown beard covering his jaw, before pulling his face down towards hers with a strength she reserved for moments like this, where she needed to show her desire. Ari's lips met Cayd's, the kiss deep and needy, her tongue slipping from between her moist lips and pushing its away past his; demanding, not asking, to be let in, to curl and dance with his. As the two lovers kissed, her hands slowly dropped from the sides of his face, trailing over his skin, the touch and pace almost exploratory as if learning the feel of him and his muscles all over again.
And it did seem as if she did have to - she'd known he'd spent so much of the last two weeks doing near constant heavy labour during the days, though she'd been more concerned in missing the whole of him that he hadn't spared a thought about how that much labour would have changed his body. As her fingers smoothed over his biceps, exposed, she could feel the definite thickness of his muscles, and her fingers dug into his arm as a soft, pleased moan escaped from the pit of her mouth into his. Ari had always loved Cayd's body - had be stayed a skinny twig like he had been as a child, she would have still love it, because it belonged to him. But she couldn't deny how much she appreciated this change, and the thought that he would be able to lift her up from the floor with even more ease than before caused a tremble throughout her body. When they had the chance, she would take her sweet, sweet time exploring Cayd all over again.
Eventually, Ari reluctantly pulled away from the kiss, her lips wet as soft pants filled the space between their faces. She could tell her face was red, feeling the burn across her freckled cheeks, the galaxies in her eyes half hidden by lidded eyes. "Cayd..." she whispered again, lips curving into a dazed smile "I approve, love." She gave his muscles a gentle squeeze, nipping her lower lip with her teeth. "These, too. I like 'em."
human
Perhaps books were bound to fall whenever they were in uncontrollable moments of passion. Bang went the book, clattering to the floor, just as in that library weeks ago, though it was hardly registered in Cayd's mind. All he thought of was her,Aria, Aria, Aria, and that his feet couldn't go fast enough to meet her midway. It was fortunate he was near enough as he was, able to catch her by the waist as she tripped and fell right into his arms, or as he liked to imagine it, swooning. She was a tiny little thing, so frail in his hands that Cayden feared she would shatter in half if he squeezed too hard. Her voice was so tiny, so familiar yet sounding like a distant memory, and as she fell into giggles and jubilant laughter against him, the templar couldn't help but laugh along elatedly as well. Despite what most people said, Cayden believed that love did triumph over all, case in point when the fatigue and worry of the past fortnight faded into the air as soon as he heard Aria's laugh and saw her galaxy grey eyes, streaked with joyful tears.
He found her answer in the way her hands trailed so lovingly over his jawline, where new, curled strands of hair now formed his beard, and the way her eyes almost drank him in with a hunger. In truth, it was quite itchy and he wouldn't be opposed to shaving it off and go back to the stubble he so loved to teasingly rub on her skin, but it filled him with a sense of pride and satisfaction, knowing he still looked attractive to Ari even when he'd changed. As for her, she looked much the same as before, and he was so,soglad to see her unharmed and unscathed. Still with those crimson tresses he loved to bury his nose in, still with those lush pink lips and button nose and playful smile, still the petite little thing with a big personality. He thanked the Maker for protecting her from the consequences of his moment of madness, and in seeing that beautiful face teem with happiness upon seeing him, Cayden felt as if he might very well melt into a puddle beneath her.
Ever the hungry little vixen, Ari pulled his face down for a kiss, and ever the gentleman, Cayden obliged. It was hungry, needy, powerful, charged with emotions pent up over the last few weeks, amplified by the fear and worry for each other. She tasted so damn good, Cayden would not be satisfied if he was able to kiss her for a thousand years. Her tongue demanded entry and his own charged out to meet it, dancing, twriling, furiously wrestling in a kiss that consumed Cayden, mind and body. He savoured every second of it, refamiliarising himself with her, letting his hands drop and explore just as hers dragged along his biceps. Her shoulders, her back, her stomach, her ass, they were all cherished and worshipped with such reverence he only ever showed her, though the last got some extra attention with some cheeky squeezes and a soft slap. A man had his urges after all.
When they broke apart, both their faces were flushed, a bridge of saliva connecting their moist lips and snapping a moment later. Cayden gave a grin and a wink as she stated her approval, giving her a kiss on her nose and nuzzling his own into the freckles on her cheeks. "Mhm, I thought you might. Did Cullen tell you? I had to spend two weeks hauling potatoes. Fitting punishment for turning someone's face into one," he snickered darkly, the subject somewhat out of place in their usual jovial tone. "I'm so happy to see you safe, Ari. I heard you had some of your freedoms taken away. Nothing happened while I was gone, right? No one bothered you?" he inquired, giving her shoulders a little shake, the vestiges of worry still apparent in his lidded, but alert eyes.
Gently threading his fingers through her hair, he squeezed her cheek with the other hand, and sighed wistfully as he gazed into those beautiful, expressive greys. "We might not have too much time, but I wanted to see you, if only for a moment. I uh, I wanted to come up with a more eloquent surprise, but urgent meetings are kind of our thing, wouldn't you say?" he laughed with a wiggle of his eyebrows and a click of his tongue.
gpt
Aria wanted nothing more for this moment to never end; for the joy in their reunion, the need with which they kissed and pressed against each other - Cayd, the menace, had even removed his armour so that they could be as close as possible to the other, and to no doubt show off his recently changed physique. The moment would have to end, they always did, and though that made her feel a pang of melancholy, it was overshadowed by her joy. And now that their respective punishments were practically over - though she found herself a little more scrutinised than she had been before - they could go back to normal. Or at least, what passed for their normal, anyway.
She felt a sick sense of satisfaction, as she had upon seeing Cayd decimate Mercer's face that day, at his darkly murmured remark. Ari hadn't seen the bastard since, as he was practically hiding away in the infirmary, tail firmly between his legs. Over the time she and Cayd were apart, she would often feel a stab of fear about him; he was going to leave his bed eventually, whether his face was healed or not, and she couldn't help but worry a target was on her back now. Cayd had clearly proven himself more than capable of taking him out; but Aria had no such chance should he approach her. She wouldn't be able to use her magic to defend herself, not without dire consequences, and she was tiny, to boot. Trying to punch him, even she good even land a blow on his face, would likely break her own hand. But he hadn't made his appearance, and as the days went on, she almost forgot about Mercer entirely. Elena had only seen part of the carnage, but Aria noticed she gave her smiles a little more freely than she had hitherto done before, since Mercer had hurt her. It made Aria feel that at leastsomegood had come out of the situation.
"I'm well," she confirmed, her smile still so wide it felt like her cheeks were fit to burst. "With my exams coming up, they couldn't lock me up completely. Maybe a few people are giving me lingering, curious looks; they must have heardsomething." As his calloused yet gentle hand caressed her cheek, Ari tilted her head a little to lean into the gesture, nuzzling him as if she were a small, fuzzy animal. "Elena seems to be doing better, too. She's less... skittish. She has you to thank for that, my hero," she ended the word with a little sigh. Her grey eyes, still lightly bleary from the tears, rolled up in mock exasperation at his cheeky remark and the waggled eyebrows, though of course she would agree. Their whole relationship revolved around secret meetings and quickly hurried intimacies, rushed kisses and needy fumblings. But even though they hadn't long together today, here, in the room overlooking the misty, melancholy lake, Aria knew she wanted to make the most of the time they had; a sly smile covered her lips, one familiar to Cayd after so many years, and her hands drifted from his arms to his chest. They stopped there, fingers deftly running over the fabric of his shirt and feeling the newly defined lines to his muscles; Ari felt her throat go dry, teeth once more capturing her lower lip softly. Her hands didn't linger on his chest for very long though, as they continued further down his body towards their eventual destination. Again, they stopped for a moment at the hem of his breeches - but unlike their love-making in the library, Ari didn't tease him this time, her fingers instead making quick work of his fastenings.
The rough fabric dropped to the floor in a heap, much like his armour and her book, and his underwear soon followed, his cock exposed and stiffening; slowly, leaving Cayd with no doubt as to her intentions, her pink tongue slipped from her mouth to moisten her plump lips. Her need to please him made her hands shake, the desire coiling and burning in her stomach. Her face was little more than a whisper when she spoke, breaking in places, husky even: "I missed you. I missed you so much. I love you." It was almost like a mantra, as she gracefully dropped to her knees, the concrete pressing against them nothing of consequence. One of her dainty hands took him within her grasp, her head dipping forwards so that her tongue pressed against him and running across the underside from root to tip, where she briefly took him into her mouth, her tongue now swirling over the sensitive slit there. She then pulled back, her eyes once again trained upon him, her voice unevenly muttered. "I fucking love you, Cayden Amberstern." And then she resumed her mouth's purpose, mouth closing softly around his cock, gently suckling him, her head titled backwards enough that she could stare up at him, watching his every reaction.
human
Her hero. The word stuck in his head and echoed over and over, like the morning gong reverberating off the walls of the tower. Her hero. Cayden wouldn't consider himself a hero by any stretch of the word, but now that he thought about it, he did protect her from a despicable bastard, regardless of how crass and needlessly violent he was. One thing that his brothers often forget was that templars were meant to protect the mages, not subjugate and abuse them. It was so ingrained in the templar mindset that mages were dangerous and meant to be kept on leashes that even he often slipped into thinking they were the enemy. They were not. The demons of the fade trying to control the mages were. For the first time in his twenty years of service to the order, Cayden felt as if he had truly performed his duty as intended. Granted, it came in the form of an emotional outburst, and he was only thinking of Aria as he pummeled into Mercer, but if he somehow helped Elena come to terms and cope, then he would take the gratitude. "Tell her she's welcome then," he said, grinning to mirror the mirth in her beautiful eyes. "And that I wouldn't mind doing it over again if it didn't mean I'd be condemned to labour for two weeks." Feeling her nuzzling into his hand, he rubbed and squeezed her rosy cheeks a little more, petting her as if she was a particularly cuddly kitten. "I think they were more concerned with the fact that there was in-fighting rather than a scuffle between a mage and a templar. Thankfully."
As her hands went down his body, his own trailed up hers, rubbing the small of her back and playing with the strings that held her robe together, feeling every inch of her body. The way she bit her lip, the way she looked over him hungrily, it filled him with a sense of power and control, mirroring her as he too glazed greedily over the curve of her breasts and the exposed skin of her neck, just begging to be kissed. But unlike him, Ari did not stop at simply looking; she went to touch, and as she went lower and lower to reach his breeches, Cayden raised his brows ever so slightly, an inkling of an idea already forming in his (admittedly sexually inclined) mind. "Ari...?" he asked, though he knew full well what her intentions were. It was more the fact that they did not have too much time to themselves, and Cayd had intended on simply kissing and talking, maybe some heavy petting, but he wasn't about to refuse what was to come. He was stiff as a rock as she made her move, paralysed, stupefied by the sheer beauty of her taking control, and as his breeches and underwear dropped and his already erect cock came springing out, Cayden let out a bashful laugh, stomach twisting with both need and a bit of shame.
Yet, with Aria, he knew there was no need for such thoughts. "I missed you too, Ari. So, so much..." he whispered, running his fingers along her lips and chin, mesmerised as she licked her lips and sank to her knees, as graceful as a dove. A twitch as she grasped his hot length, and a gasp and fluttered eyes as she leaned forward to press her tongue against the base, running up to the tip where she took it into her mouth. It washeavenly; he was no stranger to this, of course, but after being deprived of her touch for so long, just feeling her tongue swirl around the tip was a pleasure of inexplicable magnitude for him. She paused to tell him just how much she loved him, and Cayden damn near had to call upon all his strength not to buckle into a heap right there and then. "I... and I love you so fucking much, Aria Siward," he uttered through uneven breaths, feeling his breath hitch again as she closed her mouth around him again, suckling it, worshipping it, lavishing it in attention that he so desperately desired, all the while staring up at him with those big, beautiful grey eyes. "Just like that," he breathed in that drawled accent of his, his voice tinged with need.
Concentrating on just keeping himself upright, Cayden closed his eyes and gently rolled his hips, moving along with Ari's rhythm to feel every single space of her warm mouth and tongue. She was rather talented at this, and knew his body like the back of her hand, such was their bond, and Cayden feared he would lose himself right there and then just from feeling her tongue upon his cock. Forcing his eyes back open, he gazed down to meet her eyes, grinning lopsidedly as he watched her perform for him, lacing his fingers in her hair and moving her head up and down upon him, though never so forceful as to take away her agency. "Ah, you feel amazing, Aria... you... you're really good at this," he chuckled with a hitched laugh. Quite tame and amusing as far as fellatio-related dirty talk goes, but Cayd could be excused for not being suave when he was half out of it with pleasure and need. "Mhm, a little more tongue, love?" he asked cheekily, running her hair back so he could see her face fully as her lips wrapped around his member.
gpt
Each of the little ways his face and body reacted to her hands, her words, her mouth, was exactly what Aria wanted, the validation and confirmation of her power she had over him made her breath and fingers tremble; after so long apart, she still knew him so well - her grey eyes sparkled up at him with the promise that this moment together would be interesting, very interesting indeed, the smile evident in the corners of her eyes. It wasn't just that they were finally together, where she could touch and taste and feel him, but almost like a prayer, or a celebration. Cayd worshipped Ari's body, her face, sometimes it even seemed the ground she walked upon was holy, the way he treated her. Under his hands, lips pressing against her skin, she felt free, a lady, aqueen. And as she put her mouth to work, here in the overlook, the midday light flooding the room with a warmth that had no chance at rivalling the warmth the two lovers felt flooding their bodies, it was herturn to worship him.
With a wry amusement, she could feel his legs tremble for a moment, as if they would buckle and Cayd would collapse to the ground, a pile of need. And so she only increased her efforts; as their eyes continued to meet, staring into the very depths of each other - his hand gently guiding the movements of her head, yet still allowing her full autonomy - she rolled her tongue along the full length of his cock, slowly, lingering. The taste of him, warm and musky, his natural scent the strongest here, she moved her head forward with a sudden eagerness as her mouth continued to suckle the sides of his member. Teasing him and watching his eyelids flutter, the way his fingers curled into her hair would tighten for just a moment... well, that was all well and good, but her own need was increasing now. Preoccupied as she was, even as she felt herself become wet, her hands came up to rest upon his hips, where her tiny fingers dug into the skin there with a force that might just leave a few faint red lines when she was done.
Gulping, her nostrils flaring as she brought in all the air she needed through them, she couldn't help but roll her eyes upwards as Cayd's cheeky remark; had they had more time, she would have pulled back somewhat and paused, letting him stew under the consequences of his words. But she wanted to please him, to feel all of him in her mouth, to relish in the physical cues of his body and the way his cock twitched in pleasure as her tongue swirled and coiling around it, and then to bring him to his release, to taste and to swallow; around his cock, a soft, drawn out moan vibrated from deep within the pit of her throat. Ari's grey eyes closed, breaking the gaze momentarily, her eyebrows pulling together, fingers and nails digging into his skin. When her eyes opened again, they were half-lidded, a blush creeping along her cheeks as she pushed forward, more and more of him in her mouth to be suckled and licked and lapped up.
human
Cayden was more of a giver than a taker when it came to sex, and so it was somewhat hard for him to fill into the role of standing still and doing absolutely nothing as Aria did all the work. Still, he perceived it as a testament of the love she had for him, putting his pleasure above her need to breathe even, and as her lips rose up and down along his length, Cayd felt his self-control slipping further and further away from his slippery grasp, devolving into a mindless groans and hums. So he considered it a big achievement then, that he managed to make her roll her eyes amidst all this, despite his impaired ability to form legible words. A small, endearing laugh escaped him, and as a sign of peace, he gently rubbed her scalp and winked at her, feeling deservedly smug.
It could be said that Aria was the submissive one, on her knees and worshipping his cock with veneration, but it felt quite the opposite to Cayden's addled mind. He felt completely under her control, subject to every whim and every little movement she did with her mouth. He had enough trouble keeping himself still so he wouldn't thrust forward and fuck her face raw, but by Andraste's tits, this woman was incredible eyes fluttering close and blushing like an innocent maiden, she pushed further and further until she was sucking him deep enough near the base that he feared she would gag and choke. But she didn't, and what was more, she actually complied to his off-hand request and used more of her tongue on him, licking and swirling all around his length, suckling him with such force it could make him explode.
The grip in her hair tightened, his inhibition all but gone now, his voice hoarse; moaning with uncontained lust through pursed lips that did a terrible job of keeping him quiet. "Ari, Ari..." he moaned out, eyes fluttered closed as he gritted his teeth, the way she was working him over making his impending release an inevitability. And it would happen quite soon, at this rate; pressure built inside of the depths of him, coiling, twisting, working up his nerves and setting them on fire, helped along by Ari's skillful, relentless worship of his cock. He felt her nails dig into his sides, but the pain was inconsequential it served as a mere reminder of her presence below him, looming over and overtaking the whole room, blocking out everything until he could think of was her, and her alone.
And as if to foreshadow his incoming climax, a gentle breeze blew through the lone window, rustling the aged curtains and kissing his exposed skin, though it would not hold anything to what Aria was putting him through. At last it became too much to bear, and even though he would not be able to warn her verbally, his tongue tied with pleasure, the twitch in his length on her tongue and the way his body shuddered and shifted would be indicative enough for his lover. It came crashing down on his whole self, each constriction of his cock a blissful wave of pleasure as he let loose his seed inside her awaiting mouth, his hands holding her head there so she would take all of it in and swallow it, though it seemed Aria didn't need any incentive to do just that. It went on for a good while, the templar having been repressed sexually for a good while, ever since that night in the library, and only after he had quite literally emptied his balls did he release his hold on her hair, staggering back a bit and laughing dazedly as he tried to make sense of everything around him. "By the Maker... I... I didn't realise how much I needed this," he chuckled tiredly, his half lidded eyes now gazing down to meet hers, filled with nothing but love and joy and fulfillment. "I love you so much, Aria," be crooned, his hands going to his hips to clasp hers gently, squeezing them affectionately as he took the moment to appreciate Aria in all her beautiful, on her knees and looking like the majestic queen that she is. "Thank you..."
gpt
With his quietly moaned words, and the tongue-tied silence that followed them, not to mention the way his body trembled and tightened due to her tongue and mouth's delicious combo, Ari knew very well that he was enjoying it, enjoying the way she put all of her energy into pleasing him. For weeks, they hadn't even been able to see each other, and the apprentice's quarters were not exactly conducive to getting yourself off, and the way both Cullen and Cayd had explained the heavy duties the latter had been put under, she knew he'd likely had to time to indulge in any release - hells, if the way his legs buckled, the way his hands urgently, yet as carefully as ever, guided her forwards in her task of worshipping him, said anything, it was that he was just as urgent, if not more so, to reach orgasm, to swell and twitch in her warm mouth.
Ari's own hips rocked somewhat, her own desire rocketing through her veins; but Cayd was the priority, and even as another soft moan caressed his length, she felt the telltale signs of his impending orgasm. It would be, if she had to put it in words similar to those stupid smutty novels she hated, 'earth-shattering', almost, and Aria was desperate, cheeks blazing so red they clashed spectacularly with her flaming red locks. And then, she could feel him stiffen within her mouth, where before his cock would twitch in reaction to her tongue, and she knew he was close, on the brink of release. Cayd's hands tightened their hold in her hair, though she had no desire to go anywhere, no desire to move backwards; inhaling deeply through her nose she braced herself for the moment of his release, and she could feel the waves of climax rocket through him through there proximity, as wave after wave of his seed shot forth from the tip of his cock. The first hit near the back of her throat, but the only sound she made was a soft, muffle cough, before she suckled it down, greedily, almost. Ari didn't let up her mouth's pace, her tongue exploring the inside of her mouth to lap up any pools of his seed she might have missed, the saltiness nearly addictive to her.
Cayd's release lasted a good while, and Ari's grey eyes, lightly watering, twinkled much like the stars in the sky with a satisfied expression. A chuckle erupted from her throat, slowly, ever so slowly, beginning to pull back her lips from around his member with barely hidden reluctance. Upon pulling back entirely, her mouth dropped open to softly pant, her lips wet and curved into a smile that was very much like the cat that had caught the canary. Ari caught her breath, thought couldn't help but giving Cayd's member another long lick; she'd brought him to his climax, and both seemed well satisfied with it, so now she could tease him again.
"Youdefinitelyneeded this," she agreed, her voice light and playful. "You were very pent up, my love. Glad to have been of service," and with that one of her sparkling eyes slipped into a wink.
human
If her going down on him was the main course, then the little lick and wink at the end were the dessert that elevated the meal from good tospectacular. Cayden had a hard timenot laughing surprisedly after that, though it was of the endearing, affectionate sort, still not having had enough of her. It was quite the view, seeing Aria kneeling there with her mouth slightly parted, cheeks flushed red from exertion, made better by the fact that he'd literally felt her lap up and swallow every drop of his seed earlier. He felt loved, truly loved, by the extent to which she went to please him, and now that he had released weeks' worth of pent up frustration, he felt like he was now obligated to worship her in a similar fashion. He might've been the more obviously needy, having been worked to the bone with absolutely no time to spare, but he reckoned the apprentice quarters were not a good place to flick her bud either.
And so, with a satisfied sigh reminiscent of a 50-year old man sitting down after a trot around the woods, Cayden deftly slid back up his underwear and breeches, and sank to his knees so he would be level with his lover, cupping her cheeks and bringing her in for a quick, sweet kiss. He could still taste himself upon her, but he couldn't have cared less about it what mattered was showing her just how much he appreciated her, just how much he cared. "Now it's my turn," he whispered, his voice somehow lazy and content and excited at the same time. With a mirthful wink to mirror hers earlier, he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, and gestured for her to get up with a tilt of his chin. "Up. Let me make you feel good, Ari," he crooned, practically buzzing with anticipation even though he had emptied his load in her mouth moments earlier. Cayden might not be a mage, he might not be clairvoyant or telepathic, but he did know how to read Aria like a book, and knowing her, he was willing to bet she was all excited and ready to go beneath those robes of hers, if her demeanor and flushed cheeks were anything to go by.
Once she was on her feet, he gently pushed her back until she was backed against a table, wanting her to have something to hold onto for the next event in their urgent little show. They shared many mannerisms and habits, one of which was keeping their eyes locked when they pleasured each other with their mouths. Twin sets of galaxy grey eyes staring into each other, Cayden gave a smug smirk and deftly hiked up her skirt and pressed it into her hands, having her hold it for him while he got to work lapping her up. Sure enough, he could see that her panties were visibly wet, the scent of her arousal, sweet with a spicy undertone, pervading the air around them, even through the fabric. "Looks like I'm not the only one being all pent up, love," he teased, peeling the undergarment down to her ankles, letting her step out of it before tossing it onto the table, completely forgotten for now.
Then his eyes flicked to her glistening sex - and a grin crept across his face. He had always found her most intimate parts pleasing to look at, and to touch and lick and nuzzle into, of course, and he took his liberty this time to feast his eyes upon her (even though it might embarrass her), the orbs alight with a burning desire. Licking his lips like a lion before a meal, he grabbed her thighs and spread her legs apart, making her bare all of herself before him. Looking up to watch every little reaction she gave, to hear every little sound she made, Cayden leaned in... and placed a loving, warm kiss on the tip of her lower lips. From there, his tongue darted out to give a long singular lick along her pussy from bottom to top, ending at her little clit where he swirled his tongue to tease at her most sensitive part. He angled his face so that his chin would rub against her soft, creamy thighs, rubbing against her skin with the soft, raven black hairs of his new beard. Got to put it to good use before he got rid of it, he mused. Cracking a chesire grin that said he knew exactly the effect he was having on her, the templar began to lap up and down her lips, nuzzling into her crimson bush every now and then, his index finger coming up to tease her entrance.
gpt
Ari's grey eyes watched Cayd, watched his face as he chuckled, the sound breathless yet satisfied. And if Cayd was satisfied, then she was, too. Though that wasn't quite true, if the wetness between her thighs and the heat coursing through her lower belly was anything to go by. She continued to watch him, catching her breath, breasts heaving, as he pulled up his dropped breeches and underwear, before sinking to the floor in front of her. Their kiss was quick, and Ari actually gave a soft, disappointed mewl as Cayd's lips left hers. However, any disappointed she might have felt after that kiss immediately vanished, replaced with a fiery hot ball of need and anticipation as he told her to raise. Her mouth went dry as her teeth captured her lower lip, immediately complying.
Standing above him, feeling just as tall and powerful as she ever did, her lidded eyes watched his next moves, the hunger and need evident within the shining orbs. "You always make me feel good, Cayden," she said, the words coming out whispered and shaky. For a young man who had spent his whole time cooped up within these walls, with very little chance to experiment sexually, Cayd was... incredibly proficient. On more than one occasion, she had teased him for having several lovers, as only that could explain why he was so good with his hands, with his mouth - barring their endearingly fumbled first attempts at intimacy. But it was clear it was the strength of the bond between them that was the reason they were so in tune which each other, able to read each other's deepest needs - outside of intimacy, as well as within. So as Cayd gently urged her backwards, bumping up against the table, she smiled, the expression knowing. Taking the bunched up robes in her hands, exposing her creamy thighs, Ari's cheeks blazed as Cayd remarked upon her apparent arousal, her voice slightly huffy as if annoyed; though the sparkle in her eyes gave away the whole ruse, the exhalation shaky as he pulled down her underwear. "Would you like to pull out a canvas, get some pencils, take a sketch?" He always made it a point to feast his eyes upon that secret part of her, and always she felt vaguely embarrassed, like a shy, chaste maiden.
And when he was done feasting his eyes, he simply began feasting, his hands gently pulling apart her thighs; slowly, lingering, his lips and tongue lovingly exploring her outer lips. Ari whimpered, mouth dropping open, a soft mewl slipping past her moist pink lips. "Maker..." Though her prayer wasn't directed towards any holy power at all, but to the man on his knees between her thighs, putting his mouth to work in worshipping her. She could feel the new beard scratching softly against the soft, pale skin of her thighs, and chuckled, Cayd clearly putting it to use - it tickled softly, but it was pleasant, and the the tremble the tickling caused only compounded the way his tongue causes every nerve within her body to ignite. It was a good thing she was against the table, as her legs felt weak already, and though she tried to keep the gaze of their twin greys, her own lidded until the gaze was almost broken. She felt one of his fingers press against the entrance to her pussy, and her head dropped forwards, onto her chest, words playfully reproaching. "Cayd, please... don'ttease.I didn't tease you..."
human
The little huff of annoyance brought Cayden's eyes back up, mirthful as ever, though he saw from the twinkle in her greys that everything was smooth sailing. He always loved it when he was able see this side of her shy, vulnerable, exposed. So often she put up the face of the joyous, smiling maiden, and Cayd appreciated that he was able to see all sides of her. Lips twitching in amusement and curling up, he raised his eyebrows as if he was seriously considering her proposal. Her pussywas quite the pretty thing after all, worthy of praise. The smutty novels would be proud of his overdramatic antics. "Hmm, I wouldn't be opposed to it. I'm more worried you'd die of embarassment if you had to pose for me with your legs spread for hours on end. Do let me know if you're ever interested." A small wink to seal the deal, cheeky as ever, internally crossing his proverbial fingers that she would indeed agree to something of a similar vein later down the line. Perhaps this was his cue to start considering life as an artist. Surely they get paid better than templars.
And as Ari would've aptly put it, he simply started feasting after he was done feasting his eyes. It wasn't long before his beloved was moaning and mewling softly, the sounds a melody to his ears and a sign of her ardent approval. He kept his eyes trained on her, subtly observing the way her eyes fluttered, the way her lips fell open, the way her breasts heaved with every heavy breath. It was a mesmerising dance between the two of them, his tongue bringing out every little reaction she would give, though when she looked down at him and berated him in a manner that would've put Wynne's 'tsk-tsks' to shame, Cayd temporarily stopped to give a charged protest. "But I'm not!" he whisper-shouted laughingly, shaking his head in mock disappointment, as if she had spurned him away from doing what he intended.
In reality though, this only incited Cayd's need to please her further. If she was asking him not to hold back, oh so desperately waiting for him to just dive in... who was he to disobey? He leaned in again, and this time there were no distractions to his tasks. A strong hand grabbed her thighs and lifted her leg, slinging it over his shoulder so he could properly eat out what was rightfully his. One last gaze into those lidded, lustful eyes, one last warning, and then he got to work. Cayden often liked to boast that he was a proficient lover; in truth, he only meant that he was perfectly attuned to Ari's body and her wants. As such, he flattened his tongue and gave her long, lingering licks along her pussy, one hand resting over her bush to gently thumb her sensitive little clit, all the while sliding in two digits into her, all of him, tongue and fingers and all, working in tandem to pleasure her everywhere she could feel it. Eyes closed; focused on the task of getting her off and lapping up every single drop she would squirt out for him.
Aria tasted good; no buts and ifs about it. Heloved it, the natural saltiness of her arousal mixed in with the slightest flavour of sweat, his nostrils all but taking in her arousal and filling his mind with a desire to please her. Tirelessly and relentlessly her worked, lapping up and down in long, firm strokes, occasionally swirling his tongue on her clit and pressing into her pussy even as he fingered her, though he made sure to keep up a steady pace and rhythm for her, not wanting to ruin her release by trying to hard.
gpt
Cayden put Aria to shame with his teasing remarks and winks, and she made a mental note to keep them in mind to use back at him in playful retaliation. She was glad, though she always was and not just in this moment, that he washers.Hers to love and worship and crave - and, in turn, she was his in all aspects; mind and body and soul. The two had fallen in love, as far as she could remember, back in their early teens, old enough to know there was something between them than simply a companionship between two lonely children. And since then, inseparable - metaphorically speaking. Cayd was the only man she'd slept with, and if she had any say in the matter, there would be no one else. He'd given her no reason to assume that it was anything different for him.
Realistically, the couple had no need for words between them during such intimate moments; they knew each other's bodies and faces like the backs of their own hands, and yet the banter made it all the more special. When Cayden protested his innocence after she accused him of teasing her, Ari rolled her eyes upward, her expression amused despite the tone of her words. "You know you were..." Her last word jumped in her throat as Cayd, having clearly taken her accusation to heart and pulling up her leg to rest up on his shoulder, made good with the use of his mouth. It drawled up from the depths of her throat, and her entire body shivered delightfully as Cayd's careful and knowing tongue slid so delicately over her soaking lips. Despite the breeze from the open windows, the breeze bringing with it the scent of the lake, kissing her exposed skin and cooling it somewhat, Ari still felt, internally, a heat coiling and rushing and spreading from her loins, around her heart where the organ beat haphazardly within her chest, to her limbs, her fingers and toes curling and tightening as the heat seemed to threaten to combust within her.
And then Cayden brought his thumb and fingers into the mix, and although Ari - mindful as always of the need for quiet during their trysts - tried her best to keep her lips pressed together, she could not help the short, sharp cry that escaped from them, Cayd's fingers coiling and exploring her depths, the lovingly purposeful way his thumb pressed against that sensitive little mound, hips bucking forward once. The breeze, though cooling her skin a little, could not stop her body from accumulating a thin sheen of sweat across her brow, between her thighs. "Cayd," Ari whispered, the way his tongue and hand moved in a pleasurable combination together being wholly responsible for the way her breaths turned into harsh pants. His fingers, moving with a purpose, brushed against that sweet spot inside of her, and Ari almost lost all of her control right then and there. Her leg, slung across his shoulder, reflexively tightened, determined that Cayd wouldn't pull away until she was a shivering mess. Head thrown back, her red locks in all sorts of disarray, Aria muttered words under her breath, her lilting accent trailing off into little mews and whimpers. The heat within her burned relentlessly, and she knew that her climax would be amazing, only augmented by their absence from one another.
I'm going to scream, Maker, I'm going to, I won't be able to help it, were Ari's thoughts, over and over, not realising that she then started whispering them out loud. The words were disjointed and husky, and her hands tightened around the bunched up fabric, eyes squeezed shut. She could feel the rapidly approaching release coursing through her veins, and every part of her stiffened in anticipation.
human
Cayden reopened his eyes and glanced up (not unamusedly) when Aria's legs tightened around him, bringing him close as if there was any fear that he would stop mid-cunnilingus and leave. It was quite obvious he had no intention of doing so, so consumed in the act of consuming her pussy, but it also told him he had done something terribly right - like finding that little sweet spot in her pussy. His fingers moved of their own accord, making sure to massage her there and lavish her in all the attention she deserved and he so desperately wanted to give her, wanting her to scream out in pleasure that he had put upon her. Aria was always the more vocal, either in sex or in every day life, but she always had a mind to keep her lips sealed when they weren't afforded complete privacy, such as this instant. It would only take one wayward ecstatic scream to alert the others they were there, but Cayden would be lying if he did not want to hear moan her approval. Then again... it was quite fun to see the way she tries so hard to keep quiet, only to inevitably fail and let out needy little mewls.
And lucky for him, the fruits of his effort were already quite visible. Aria's eyes were now clamped shut, her head thrown back, her crimson tresses in disarray, her mouth letting slip a string of whispered words of prayer and warning that she was close that soon devolved to be nothing more than whimpers and moans. Caydenlovedit. He loved the control he had over her, the way he was able to wring out all these sounds and make her debase herself before him. It was only natural, after all, that he would have such a hold over her body and mind. They had loved each other since their early teens, and had been good friends long before that, when he was (to quote Aria verbatim) a skinny twig and she was a sprightly little girl. They were each other's first love, first sexual partners... and the only ones, if he had anything to do about it. The thing about meeting one's soulmate from a young age is that it tends to distort one's views on romance. For Cayden, it meant he became a one-woman type of man, where he simply couldn't look at a woman and desire her if she were not Aria. And right now, looking up at the redhead on the verge of losing herself in pleasure, the templar knew he would be foolish, no absolutely idiotic, to want anything else.
Soon, the telltale signs of her impending orgasm began to show; her hips stiffening in place when she bucked eagerly against him before, her legs locked him between her thighs in a vice grip, her voice rose until it disappeared, and her walls tightened more and more around his fingers. He could feel it, she was so close now, and breaking from the usual routine to say it, he lifted head a bit and said in a husky tone, "Cum for me, Ari." When she would eventually let loose, Cayd would keep his mouth firmly planted on her lips to keep lapping at her, intent on not letting any of her juices go to waste. His own member was hardening again amidst all this, but he ignored it for now, putting Aria's need to the forefront of things. He would keep going as she rode out her high, fingering and licking her oversensitive clit and folds to force as much pleasure as he could upon her, until she would have no choice but to squeal out and buckle against the table.
gpt
The sounds coming from her mouth now were little more than animalistic mutterings, and her hair flew about her face, mussing it up, as she shook her head from side to side. The knuckles of her fingers bone-white, gripping the fabric so tightly that it was in danger of tearing; the way her leg kept Cayd's face exactly where it was, where she needed it; the pause in his actions as he muttered those provocative between her thighs. All of this she felt in her heightened emotions, the moment before her climax hit. Her mouth dropped open, pink lips moist, and she thought that maybe she was able to say something, maybe his name, but she wasn't sure - even in the afterglow later, she wouldn't be sure of exactly what she was going to say.
And then, it felt as if every one of her nerve ending combusted, the pleasure bursting in her lower belly, and rushed to her head. At first, she pressed her lips so tightly together that they almost disappeared, and the sheer force of keeping the moan, the scream, that wanted to erupt from her throat made her hands lift and with it, pulling the fabric in opposite directions. Threads snapped and frayed, and it was for nothing, as Ari simply couldn't hold it in anymore. So many times, ever since they'd first made love, they had to be silent, conscious of the fact that getting caught would very likely spell the end of their relationship entirely. On several occasions Ari, being the louder of the two, let forth moans and cries that led to the sound of someone's approach - quickly they had to gather up their clothes and fix their appearances, making mad dashes to hide or leave before someone found themin flagrante delicto. They'd mastered the art of reaching their climaxes with minimal volume; but this time, Aricould nothold back, it was simply impossible.
As the waves of her orgasm hit her, body twitching and trembling and bucking, her cry of pure ecstasy spilled forth from the depths of her throat, filling the room around them and echoing off the stone walls. Only a few ragged, thread-bare tapestries hung from the ceiling, doing very little to dampen the sound. It lasted several seconds, each wave of her climax causing the moan to almost hiccup out of her, and as it trailed off, it ended in a whimper, the whimper being Cayden's name. Were it not for the way her leg was curled over his shoulder, and the table at her back, Aria would have crumpled into a sweat-sheened, messy, pile of satisfaction.
human
All the senses blurred in those few seconds when Aria's orgasm came, Cayden trying his utmost to focus on her pleasure despite the many outliers that demanded his attention. The scent of her arousal, overwhelming yet sweetly pleasant, hit his nostrils just as waves of her juices hit his awaiting tongue, salty and pleasant to the taste. The templar worked diligently, lapping up all his lover had to offer, even as some splashed to her thighs and his chin. He heard fabric ripping, tearing with a force that can only come from Aria gripping it tight in her attempts to keep quiet. Yet, even that failed, because soon her moan of ecstasy and pleasure rang out around the secluded little room, rebounding off the thick stone walls and echoing down below, inevitably alerting some templar or mage meandering around. It alerted him to the fact that they probably should clear out soon, but that little bit was lost in the million other thoughts running through his mind.
It all lasted a good while, and when she was finally done, Aria was a right mess, looking like she would slump into a pile if the table and Cayden weren't holding her up. A whimper calling his name slipped through her lips, and Cayden perked up to glance affectionately at her tired, blissful face, feeling utterly smug about having brought her to such a climax. Placing a kiss upon her still sensitive folds, he gently lifted her leg off his shoulder and rose back to his full height, wiping his lips on his wrist. With no words exchanged, he simply leaned forward to capture her lips in a soft kiss, lifting her up by her ass to properly place her on the table, if only to give her legs some rest. "Quite the show. I reckon you have old Wynne down below a bit of a fright," he mumbled laughingly, wrapping his arms around her and embracing her tightly, knowing they would have to part any moment now.
The dance of their tongues was slow and loving, and it seemed as if Cayden was taking his fill of much needed attention for the weeks of separation, and only did he let her go when he'd been satisfied. Foreheads touching, he whispered, "Thank you... for being with me. We both needed this, hm?" His eyes reopened, twinkling with the same affection he held for him since he was a skinny twig of a boy. "But we should probably leave soon. I can explain myself being here, but you're still restricted in where you can go," he reminded her, voice tinged with an audible sadness.
gpt
Aria had teased Cayd about his being pent up, and naturally so, for her lover was incredibly virile and it had been, of course,weekssince the two of them had seen each other. But she hadn't really spared a thought for exactly how sexually frustrated she had also been in that time, not until she was able to have him in her arms again - and the orgasm he elicited from her, using his mouth and fingers in tandem, delightfully skilled, was like several waves crashing into her over and over. Once the cry of sheer pleasure had left her mouth she knew their time was limited - the lack of noise insulation from curtains and the like worked against them. Ari, though, was a near mess, and her hands dropped the hem of her robes; the tear in them noticeable but not likely telling of what exactly happened to them.
As Cayd rose to his full height, shifting Ari so that her trembling legs - threatening to give out underneath her with every passing second - could actually rest and she eagerly returned the kiss he pressed against her lips. His arms came up around her, a further pillar of support as her breathing slowed, taking time to become something she could pass for normal, and a soft laugh slipped from her lips into the space between their faces. "Wynne's.. a tough old bird..." Ari mumbled, voice low and catching, and she had to clear her throat a little; clearly the very vocal moan was not something her throat was used to producing.
The lovers kissed again, and even through the exhaustion that lingered through her body, as their tongues danced and whirled with each other's, she could feel the slow rise of need once more; her hands clenched, nails digging into the soft, clear skin of her palm to ward off the desire. "I'll always need you," she said, when their lips parted again, the words a little stronger now. She still felt dog tired, and groaned softly at the thought of having to go straight back to her books; if she thought she had been failing to concentrate on herbs and poultices before, she now had to manage with the lingering traces of her climax. Still, now that Cayd's punishment was over, they would at least, be able to find other times to be alone much like they had now. They would manage - they had done so, so far. "You're right; it was a sort of miracle I could even make it here now. But..." She slipped forwards off the table, still for a moment as if waiting for her legs to betray her, but they seemed strong enough, then began using her fingers to attempt to tidy up her hair and adjust her robes. "...we'll meet again soon, yes? As much as I loved how...strongour climaxes were, I don't want to have to wait three weeks again." Ari supressed a sigh, and after she had finished tidying herself up, her hands took hold of his shoulders and pulled him down for another kiss, this one quick out of sheer necessity. "I love you!" Ari hated this, the leaving, every single time - but after what had happened, it was even more imperative now than before that they were not caught together, and she slipped away from him, her robes flying around her figure, and gathering up her discarded book she turned for one last glance at him, the smile soft and sad, before she pulled open the wooden door and out of view.
Aria's red hair was frazzled, her expression tired, bottom lip chewed out of stress, as she looked down at the open tome in front of her with an increasingly annoyed expression. Her eyes were bleary, the poorly lit room not helping her grey eyes to focus one bit. With a short grunt, she snapped the book shut aggressively and leaned back in the creaky chair, arms crossed over her chest. Her exam was merely days away now, and up until a day or two ago, Ari had felt reasonably confident about her skills; specialising as she did with herbs and the like, she could only be thankful that the exam did not require photographic memory of every little thing about every school of magic. Still, she had to learn enough of each to pass, and today she, with the help of her friend Remiel, decided to swot up on Entropy. It seemed that every 'expert' on Entropy was some long-bearded twit from Orlais who liked to show off his use of flowery language and words with more than eleven letters. Aria was smart, or smart enough, she thought; but she was of the opinion that magical tomes should be at leastreadable.
Remiel, sitting next to her, looked up from his own scribblings with a wry expression. The two had been close friends for a while now, their companionship based primarily on their herbal knowledge. He was a Dalish elf where she had been born in Denerim's alienage, only found and brought to the circle after shemlen - as Remi still called humans - found their aravels and began to harass his clan. Remi, still only a teenager at the time, was still not completely in control, and attacked back. The humans who survived returned with local authorities, and Templars, who ordered Remi to be turned over to the Circle or the rest of the clan would face retribution. And so, Remi was forcibly removed from his life, his family and friends; Ari wondered sometimes if there were any mages in the Tower to volunteered themselves into the 'care' of the Templars, and thought there likely wasn't many. Still, Remi was somewhat cheery, or at least was able to pretend to be very well, and professed that he was aware most shemlen aren't as bad as the ones who had attacked his clan.
"The Entropy stuff not going well, falon?" he asked, though as Ari looked over at him, it was clear he knew the answer, his lips curved into a smirk. Ari swatted a small hand at him, then sighed again as she pushed the offending book away. "No, Remi. Entopy is allbullshit!" Her grey eyes fell on his parchment, her curiosity again renewed. "Are you still working on your thesis for Crystal Grace?" Remi nodded, moving his chair aside a little to allow Ari to move hers forward, so that she could better read his notes - or try to, his handwriting was questionable at best. Still, even trying to read what Remi had scratched was better than reading about Entropy anymore.
As Remi began to talk her through his thesis, about the potential uses for Crystal Grace that hadn't been found yet, and the best way to cultivate it - interspersed with him complaining about how he was hardly ever able to get his hands on samples, and just a little bit of annoyance at the low chances he would ever be allowed to leave the Circle on official gathering business - the two were shoulder to shoulder, and Ari would occasionally look up at Remi and nod at something he'd said, for she was entirely absorbed by his theories; he would make a good teacher someday, with his easiness and eagerness to teach, she thought. A few innuendoes here and there, and Ari was laughing heartily along with her friend, her stress evaporating.
human
It had been quite the awkward situation when one of the templars came up to find Cayden half naked and shuffling around in that little nook in the tower. Thankfully, he had managed to spin it as taking a breather after a half day of standing still, and the man, knowing all too well about the torturous ache in the hips, wasn't too skeptical about it. How he equated Aria's orgasmic screams to stretching, he had no idea, but Cayd would not question his good fortune. He didn't dwindle around any further and only asked that Cayden come back down and resume his post, which was fortunate; he would've found Aria's bunched up panties and the spot on the table where he pleasured her if he only stepped forward and took a glance. Cayd's nerves had been shot; of all the ways to get caught, this would've been quite a lame to go. But alas, the pair were able to go scot-free once again, and soon after Cayden was back standing at the door to the Hall of Solange, same as before, with only one notable exception - he wore a smile under that helmet of his, and concealed within the shield was Aria's soaked panties. He'd have to give it back, after all.
Strange? Perhaps. Then again, what part of their love was normal?
It would be several days until he and Ari were able to speak freely again. He'd heard from Cullen earlier today that Aria was studying in the Library by herself, presumably a last minute cram before her final exam. Although the young templar knew better than to disturb her very important studies, he still wanted to spend a little more time with her, and tease her about the fact that she'd managed to forget her undergarments as she fled from their little alcove. Besides, she could spare a few moments for a kiss, right? Finally off duty for the day, the brunet was bright eyed and ecstatic as he walked over to the Library, thinking of a myriad of ways he could tease his girlfriend, maybe even extract a sneaky orgasm out of her with his fingers if she would allow it. The last time had been more intense than any of their trysts that came before, and that scream - that moan of utter, uncontrolled pleasure - he longed to hear it again.
One could understand, then, why he became very very disappointed when he finally turned the corner and found Aria... laughing with the most sickeningly beautifulman he had ever seen. Without even noticing, his fists clenched and his anger flared, confused as a million questions ran through his head. Who was he? What was so funny that she was laughing twice as much as she did with him? Why is his hair so freakishly similar to his?Why the fuck was he touching her?Why the fuck was he ruffling her hair? Before he knew it, he was storming towards the two of them, plated sabatons screeching loudly in the quiet, cosy little space. To Aria, it might look like some other templar coming to give them trouble, not her boyfriend who came to see her, with the way he was carrying himself. Being stoic and calm was the pinnacle of a templar's mandate, but anger and hate were so often the norm. And Cayden, for the first time since he pummeled Mercer's face, channeled them into him.
"Siward," he called, his voice a distorted baritone, a far cry from the usually soft-spoken and sweet young man. He had never called her by her family name ever, only using it in her full name in his many confessions of love to her. There wasn't any love in the way he spoke now, only anger.Why are you with him? Why didn't you come find me? "You're still under probation, so explain to me why the fuck you're here giggling your arse off with another knife-ear?" Maker, he hated himself for doing this. The way he spoke reminded him so much of Mercer and the many others who doled out racism on a regular basis, but anger and jealousy blinds reason so very often. He was in too deep now, and unwilling to take back the words that had slipped his mouth, he doubled down on them with a fury.
"You," he turned to the idiot beside her, voice seething with venom. "Whatever your name is. Don't you know she's only allowed to be here if she's alone and under the supervision of a templar?"Which is what I'm here for, you retard. Nevermind his hypocrisy in enforcing the rules he himself criticised and made light of so often. Most templars didn't even bother with it - what was the harm in two mages studying together? Nothing, but it is hurtful when one of them is your beloved. "Leave. Before I make you."
gpt
It seemed almost destined that Aria's emotions were supposed to fluctuate heavily the closer she got to the Harrowing; first, that night in the library with Cayden, crying in his arms as they dreamt of their future life together; when he'd beaten the ever-loving shit out of Mercer and she had let loose her own anger; and then the sweeping joy that caused her to almost run to meet her boyfriend in the overlook, and caused her to orgasm so intensely she completely forgot about retrieving the underwear she'd left behind - she'd allowed herself to hope that she would make it to her exam and pass without any additional emotional stress. Mercer wasn't out of the infirmary yet, so at least she didn't have to worry about that. And, as always, Cayden would be her rock; if she had stress, Cayd would kiss it away, soothing her with his caressing hands, whispering words quietly into the shell of her ears with his accented voice.
And so as the helmeted Templar stormed from the doorway into the library towards Ari and Remi, she didn't immediately clock him as Cayd; other than that incident with Mercer, she'd never seen him angry, at most just annoyed or irritated, and even then when they were together, they practically became new people. Aria couldn't pretend like she thought being a Templar was easier than being a mage, and for the most part, understood that many Templars were simplytaughtto be stoic and harsh when they might not have needed to be. And they weren't words she would have used to describe Cayd. The elves looked up, their smiles rapidly evaporating; Ari felt a tremor of fear across her skin - typically a Templar approaching you out of nowhere meant nothing good. Still, Ari tried to look unimpressed and unafraid - until the Templar spoke her name.
It was Cayd's voice, but deeper and darker, and Aria frowned, brows knitted together. He never said her name like that, not in that tone of voice, and not just her last name. He always,alwayscalled her Aria when he acknowledged her verbally. Something was wrong, that much was clearly obvious. Ari couldn't see Cayd's face beneath the helmet, but she could just imagine his lips curling up in a grimace the way they did when his fists connected with Mercer's face over and over again. She lifted herself up from her seat just as Remi pulled away from her a little, his tall frame leaning back in the wooden chair; but she felt her legs shake underneath her weight at Cayd's next words.
"...another knife-ear..."
Cayden could have punched her in the throat and that would have been less of a painful shock than the racial slur that launched itself from Cayd's lips and into the silence of the library. Remi's eyes narrowed, lips pursing, but Ari wasn't looking at Remiel; instead, her wide grey eyes stared into the slits of Cayden's helmet, vision turning misty from the emergence of tears. Most of the time, being called a knife-ear was just part and parcel of being an elf, and if she went to bed in the apprentices's quarters without hearing it all day, that was quite an achievement. It wasn't like she could anything about it - if the higher-ups did nothing about the kind of things that went on under Mercer's hands, they certainly wouldn't bother with punishing someone for the use of a word that was in every Fereldan's vernacular. Even when Mercer had called her that, it paled in comparison to the disgusting hand upon her backside - but she couldn't lie and say that it didn't bother herat all.She couldn't change who she was. And she'd thought that Cayden had loved her for who she was; kissing the tops of her ears, accepting them and her racial heritage without question.
So when Cayden called her, and Remi, knife-ears, the breath whooshed out from her lungs in a single gasp, a shaking hand resting against the hardwood table, supporting her weight. Cayd turned his attention to Remi, but Aria barely even noticed. She was confused, so confused, andhurt. What could she have possibly done to make Cayden so angry at her? She hadn't done anything wrong, nothing sketchy - Maker forbid that she would ever do anything to risk her relationship with Cayd, or her life, or anything. Blood magic, possession, anything like that - she was resolute in staying away from even reading out it in a book, lest someone think she was interested. Aria had heard of a few mages who were maybe more than a little interested, and she did her best to distance herself from them. That was the only thing she could think of that would make Cayden so immediately angry at her. Maybe someone had made up a rumour about her and told Cayd. Maybe Mercer had said or done something.
Such was the confusion in her mind that she didn't even notice Remi had stood up to leave, the Dalish elf doing his best not to glare at the Templar. He wanted to reach out to Ari before he left the library, give her arm a soft squeeze - but Remi wasn't a fool, no matter what anyone else might say or think. He knew enough from things Aria had said, and things he'd seen out of the corner of his eye that he'd discreetly ignored - the Evanuris knew Aria deserved the world, and if that was in the form of her Templar sweetheart, Remi was not going to do anything about it - to know something of the extent of their relationship. He also knew enough to know that anything he said or did would only make Cayden more angry - because that was how jealously worked. Remi knew that well enough, too. So, he closed up his book and gathered his papers, lips still pursed. The Templar didn't have anything to worry about from Remiel - his tastes in people ran to more masculine varieties - but clearly they would have to work that out for themselves. He kind of wanted to be a fly on the wall to see how Cayd backtracked from calling his girlfriend a racial slur.
The door closed behind Remiel, and that was when Ari realised her friend was gone, and now she was alone with an angry man, an angryTemplar, who also happened to be the love of her life. The tears started to fall now, and her lower lip shook with the emotional hurt coursing through her. Aria's voice was the opposite of the raging venom she'd unleased upon Mercer several weeks ago when she spoke.
"What is it, Cayden? ...what did I do? What did I do wrong?"
human
It was easy for Cayden to forget the power he actually held over Aria. His very existence as a templar was to subjugate the mages and keep them under control, and for that to be achieved, they needed to have absolute power and authority over the magically gifted, in the form of their swords and the lyrium in their veins. In a perfect world, the templars would use that power with perfect restraint, but too often they enjoyed the impunity and often devolved into tyranny. Many of his brothers fell into this label, and being led by example, most young templars followed in such horrible footsteps. Cayden himself had to consciously remind himself to be a protector rather than a jailor, but every so often, even he slipped into the trap of abusing his power, such as now. He did not notice it know, but he knew full well how dangerous it was for a mage to be alone with a templar, anangry templar, no less. Aria had never had to worry about being in such a position because she always had Cayd, but now he was the one standing in front of her fuming like an angry bull, and it was evident in her misty eyes and terrified expression just how frightened it was.
Under normal circumstances, seeing the love of his life scared and helpless like that would've sent him into a frenzy, as when he battered Mercer's face for daring to touch Aria, consequences be damned. In a way, the same was happening now, as in his clouded, jealous mind, the elf beside her was as bad as Mercer, touching those beautiful red tresses with hisdisgusting hands, and what added insult to injury was the fact that Aria was smiling and laughing and seemed to be enjoying it. He hated that her smile was twice as wide as with him, conveniently glossing over the fact that their little trysts were often rushed and secretive, and when he saw the smiles slowly evaporating from both elves' faces, he felt a sick sense of satisfaction. Nevermind the fact that he had called her a knife-ear, he revelled in the fact that she gasped and backed into her seat as well, scared of him, and Cayden both hated and loved this newfound sense of power he was feeling.
The nameless elf was less frazzled than Aria. While the young woman seemed to be dazed at the explosive moment that shook the quiet peace of the library, the other began to pack his things and surreptitiously leave the two lovebirds to sort things out, but Cayden's angry grey eyes sat trained on him through the slit in his helm. He'd actually seen him around - quite hard not to, when he was as tall as him, maybe even taller, and had a handsome face that was adorned with Dalish tattoos that swirled around his cheeks and forehead. The attractive countenance of the elf added fuel to Cayden's fire, automatically regarding a rival and an enemy - and how could he not? Briefly, the young reckless templar contemplated doling out another verbal lashing in that distorted, accented voice of his for the man dithering around with an utterly punchable expression on his face, but as if sensing his immense distaste for him, the sandy blond-haired elf quickly left the room, the aged wooden doors closing with a creak.
Immediately, Cayden whipped around and removed his helmet, his hair falling in dishevelled strands around his face, eyes alight with an unexplained rage, and tossed it somewhere towards the carpeted floor, where the clanking of metal on stone echoed out through the empty room. The grey gaze met the misty emerald greens, and instantly, Cayden felt some of his anger dissipate, the mere sight of those beautiful eyes filled with tears enough to make him rethink his actions. But, still embroiled in the aftermath of the perceived betrayal and reeling from his hurt ego, he pushed on with a tone that might be best described as seething with venom. "What did you do wrong?" he echoed darkly, as if her crime should be painfully obvious, and slammed his gauntlets down upon the table, sending books and paper and ink bottles crashing down to the carpets and cushions from the impact.
"First off, why were you alone with him?" The accusations fell like daggers from his lips, sharp and piercing, and he edged closer and closer to her, and from her position below him, he would've looked absolutely towering. The tears started to fall, and for some reason, it infuriated him for, mistakenly believing that Aria was somehow weeping for the other man, even though he did not have any reason to even suspect such a thing, knowing the history of their love and loyalty for each other. "If you needed another person forwhatever reason, you could've waited for me. You know I'm always bending over backwards to spend time with you. And second," He breathed deeply, hands balling into angry fists as he continued to lay into her, "Why the fuck was he touching your hair, Aria? Why were you laughing like he was the funniest motherfucker you ever met? Why were you sitting so close?Why-I can understand studying together, but by the Maker, you two looked like you were a couple with how close you were. You don't even laugh like that with me!" His voice became louder and angrier the more he spoke, no regard given to her emotions, and anyone standing outside the library would've heard quite clearly every word he was shouting at her.
"What, should I be fucking worried?"
gpt
Other than when Cayden had beat Mercer's face into a hundred different shades of red, blue and purple, Ari had never seen him so mad. Upset, annoyed, disgruntled, of course. There was plenty that happened within the Tower that could annoy even the most sanguine of its inhabitants, from a tipped over inkwell on important notes, or a blown-out arguments between old friends. Whoever thought it was a good idea to lock up people from so many different backgrounds for their entire lives had clearly never given it much thought. And Templars had so much power over mages within the Tower, both formally and informally, that even though this was Cayd standing in front of her - Cayd, her soulmate - she still couldn't help feeling terrified. Even more so when he furiously removed his helmet, tossing it aside and causing a heavy clank that made her flinch. His expression was worse than the sound, though, and worse still than the slur he'd thrown at her so easily only moments before. With her, Cayd smiled easily, because he knew he could be genuine with her, when the rest of his days he had to be a stoic and faceless watcher. And if he ever had scowled at her, it was because he was recounting some stupid thing that had happened earlier that day, or much more rarely, she'd teased him a little too much, and made him grumpy.
But that wasn't the case now. Aria didn't even know what it was that she was supposed to have done, for starters, and the snarl on his face with the pure anger in his eyes only caused her tears to get more intense. His accented voice, usually soft, was filled with a venom she never would have acquainted with him. He repeated her whimpered question as if she should know exactly what she had done, exactly why he was so mad at her, and Ari shook her head uselessly, mind torn between the shock and desperately trying to think of something, anything, that could have angered him so bad. So when he asked why she had been alone with Remi, her brows furrowed together, even as the tears continued falling. Completely confounded, she listened to the hurled accusations, and there was a moment when it hit her, that she had to fight back a bitter laugh. Cayden was jealous. Jealous of Remi, for some reason - though, Cayd didn't know the elf like she did, didn't know that he was a friend and that was it, that Remi was gay and had no interest in Aria whatsoever. So, she supposed, as her mind was catching up with everything, it was understandable that he would feel something, seeing the two elves so cosy together. And yet...
There was no need to be so angry, so... so... reminiscent ofthatkind of Templar, the kind of Templar that Cayd had muttered to her so many times that he hoped he would never be. His balled up fists, the venom in his voice, the snarl upon his face - it made something in Aria snap, and she was more than capable of shooting back her own anger at him. 'Cayd, you idiot,' she hissed, her own face now scrunched up, even as the tear tracks remained on her cheeks. 'Remiel is my friend - Maker knows I have few of those in here! We were studying, yes. YouknowI have my examination soon, youknowhow I need to study. He also was studying. That is not acrime, Cayden.' The words were coming hard and fast, justifying herself even though she wasn't the one being unreasonable here. She could feel her body jitter with adrenaline under her skin, her voice as loud as his in the empty library as she stalked her way around the side of the table to face him properly.
'If you had taken just a moment to think about this before storming in, you would have remembered that I'm not always privy to when your shifts end, or if you're called away to some other duty. And-' she punctuated this new sentence with a jab at his chest. '-I can't sit alone all day, doing nothing, with my important fucking examDAYS away, Cayden Amberstern!' The adrenaline was doing more than just jittering under her skin now; in fact, she felt almost alight with her anger. The second part of his accusation was a little less easier to answer, though, but she would have thought that Cayd knew what Ari's feelings for him were, that he wouldn't need to question her so aggressively like this. Had she been giggling with Rachel like this, would he have made the same assumptions?
'He is a friend,' she repeated, her voice hard. 'A friend, and nothing more. We're both elves, and we're both mages, so we clicked, but that! Is! It!' Each of those last three words were emphasised as she brought her little fist down upon his armoured chest. Each blow was more painful for her than it was for him, no doubt, and her hand stung unpleasantly afterwards. 'You idiot. There is absolutely no need for any of this!'
human
Finally, she seemed to get it, and Cayd felt vindicated in the fact that she too seemed to flare her nose and rear up in anger, thinking that his instigating of this fight was justified. Many factors played their parts in giving way to this reasonless, raging facet of Cayden's usually mild-mannered personality; jealousy of that knife-ear (with a stupid name no less), his anger at being punished for punching Mercer, the fact that he had missed Aria dearly and had not seen her for days, all these frustrations bundled up and boiled over in a spectacularly grotesque fashion. Of course, it did not happen upon Cayd that he was unleashing all his anger on the woman he had been so torn up on wanting to see in the first place. All he saw was that she was now fighting fire with more fire and that, in his mind, inferred that he was siding withhim.
Cayd was something of a toothless dog when it came to Aria. All bark and no bite, and even then he barked sparingly. The few times he had been angry with her, he felt his fury quelled instantly the moment the elven girl's beautiful face contorted into a scowl and her cheeks went red from anger. So it was even more of an anomaly then, that he did not back down when she advanced upon him with a fury similar to Andraste's crusade against Tevinter, hurling back spiked, harsh words with equal fervour and banging on the metal plate of his armour as if she might dent it with her little hands. He felt none of the blows but it was obvious she did, and on the last swing he caught her wrist and twisted her hand away, more so for her to stop pointlessly hurting herself than a show of physical dominance men had over women. Their love was strange in this way, but he doubted Aria would care at the moment, and neither did he.
Like a raging bull seeing red, he doubled down on his attacks as if Aria was waving a big red flag in front of eyes. "There isevery need for this," he hissed, stepping forward with a menace and backing her up against the table, trapping her small frame between his giant one and the furniture. His tone seemed to grow more and more hysterical with every word, his eyes ablaze. "You could've told me who you were going to be with, you could've told mesomething, Aria! I don't care he's an elf, or a mage, or yourfriend, I care about you not prancing around with guys I don't know! What if he's another Mercer, huh? What if something happened while you were alone with him? Thank the Maker's balls I arrived when I did," he laughed bitterly as if he had just prevented something truly unfortunate from taking place. "Or I can't even imagine what would've happened." He didn't like either scenario, whether thisRemiel be a friend who made her laugh like he couldn't, or some villain akin to the likes of Mercer.
Obviously slandering someone who couldn't fight back proved most effective in projecting his anger, so Cayden continued with a nasty vendetta as if it would somehow make Aria see his twisted point of view. "And you're callingme the idiot? That knife-ear-" He didn't get to finish his sentence this time around though, as he felt a burning sting in his cheek as her hand reached up and swung across his face. It didn't burn too much, but it left a sting on his cheek that soon became warm, and only after a second, did he come to realise that Ari had slapped him and that he was bleeding. His eyes swivelled to her hand, still hanging in the air - the ring on her finger, the one he had gotten her as a present for her twentieth birthday. He had promised to propose to her with a proper ring later, once they had settled down somewhere away from this place, but had wanted to give her something to signify their connection.
Ironic that the very ring had now made him bleed.
It was as if all anger had been snuffed out of him. Dazedly, he lifted his hand to touch the grazed wound and winced as the cold metal amplified the sting of the cut. The fingers of the gauntlet came back smeared with blood, and he looked at Aria, utterly confounded and looking like a scolded child, a complete reversal of the blind rage he had sported on his face moments before. They had never laid a hand upon each other in anger, not once in their long years of love, ever since they were small teenagers. But then again, he had never called her a knife-ear ever before either. Suddenly, his face burned up with shame at what he had done. "Ari..." he said, reaching for an apology that never came out of his lips.
gpt
Underneath her anger, there was still a bristling sense of complete confusion at his words and actions; she had known him for such a long time that she couldn't help but feel faintly outraged and even betrayed, only compounded that he was even still doubling down upon his own insecurities, like a fucking idiot. Of the two, Ari was typically the one to express her emotions much more obviously, both positive and negative, and right now she couldn't hide her shaking anger. His large hand came up to grab hers, stopping her from trying to punch him once more, although she was aware in the back of her mind it was less a method of controlling her, and more an instinctual way of not letting her get hurt. Typically, she would be appreciative of such an action, but not now. The insinuation that Remi, her friend Remiel, the only vicious thing about him being his sassy quips, being anything like Mercer, a notorious abuser and rapist, made her flinch. Cayd had gotten the situation wrong, so wrong, and if he had simply approached them with less aggression, he would have seen there was nothing to worry about. 'He's not like Mercer,' she hissed, and was surprised when a venomous continuation almost threatened to spill out from her hips:Right now you're being more like Mercer than Remiel would ever be. Even though she was angry at him, she wouldn't, couldn't, be that cruel, not even after he had called her a slur.
And then he said it again, and she snapped, seeing red. Her free hand, dainty yet lifting with a solemn purpose, struck against Cayd's exposed cheek, the palm connecting solidly with a ringing slap. The metal of her ring caught his chin, slicing it apart, the blood falling eagerly. Ari's stomach dropped to the floor, her hand still aloft. She had never struck Cayd before, and he had never hurt her, either. But then, he'd never been so angry, so mean to her before. There was something about the fact that she was angry, so angry, athim, that she struck him, that sapped all of it out of her, her small shoulders sagging. It was quickly replaced by fear - after all, Cayden was being so unlike himself, that all she could think of was that she had struck a Templar. If it wasn't so serious, she might have found it amusing that in the last few weeks, both of the lovers had drawn blood from someone wearing the Templar armour.
'Ari...' His voice was devoid of the growling aggressiveness that had filled it prior, but even so Ari started shaking her head. 'C-Cayden. I... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have... hit you...'