Fen'Tarasyl

Chapter Twenty Six

The morning light streamed through the small window, right in Talyn's eyes. She squeezed her eyes more tightly and rolled onto her stomach, sticking her arms underneath the pillow with her head in the opposite direction of the sunlight. She felt someone brush the pale strands of her hair that were in her face, and she felt a kiss on her shoulder.

"You should wake up, vhenan." Solas spoke, his voice caressing her name.

Talyn groaned and threw the pillow over her head.

Solas laughed. "I never thought I'd see the day where you didn't want to get out of bed."

"It's your fault." Talyn accused him, her voice muffled. "I didn't get any sleep last night."

Solas rubbed her back comfortingly and replied sarcastically, "you poor, unfortunate thing. It's not as if you're the one who won't sleep in her own bed."

Talyn threw the pillow off her head and lifted herself to her elbows. She twisted her neck so she could glare at Solas. "As I seem to recall, it was you who refused to let me leave."

She imitated him, "stay, vhenan. I want to sleep with you in my arms."

She rolled over and dramatically threw her arm across her eyes. "As if I could have denied that."

Without another word, Solas moved so that he was hovering over Talyn, and moved her arm off of her face. His eyes roamed her body possessively, taking in every detail. Watching him stare at her like that was enough to make her never want to leave his bed.

When his eyes met hers again, he leaned down and kissed her so slow and sweetly it made Talyn dizzy. Then his lips moved to her neck, and trailed down her bare skin.

"I know what will wake you up." His voice was husky, and full of promise.

Talyn's breath hitched, and she watched his head go lower.

An hour later, Talyn was dressed in her ebony armor and sitting on the wolf throne. She was waiting for Grand Duchess Florianne to be brought in to decide her punishment for attempting to commit treason. Empress Celine had thought that it was only fair that the Inquisition was responsible for her, since she was an agent of Corypheus.

After explaining the war that was to come to Celine, she graciously agreed to help provide supplies and soldiers for their cause. She even sent her "occult adviser", Morrigan the Apostate, to assist. Talyn hadn't seen much of her, not since they had arrived back at Skyhold, but she already knew that the two of them were going to hate each other. She had an air of arrogance about her that she hadn't earned, and Talyn didn't need her. Solas was far more a superior mage than she was. Talyn had only accepted Morrigan's help because, well, she had no choice. To refuse a gift from the Empress would have been a bad idea.

Solas was with her on the dais, standing behind the throne with his staff in his hand. On the other side of her was Cassandra. In the crowd she could see several Orlesians, their faces unreadable beneath those ridiculous masks.

The doors creaked open, and Florianne was led down the red carpet, her face smeared with dirt and her short hair darker than it's original blond. She had cuts and bruises all over her skin that weren't covered by the prison rags she was wearing. She stumbled and fell to her knees multiple times, and the guards who were escorting her had to lift her to her feet. They weren't gentle about it.

They shoved her to the ground at Talyn's feet, and Josephine read from a piece of parchment.

"Grand Duchess Florianne, accused of committing treason, espionage, murder, attempted assassination and attempted murder. Your murder. How do you wish to proceed?"