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“You sure you want to do this?”
Jeremiah Trevelyan pulled on his gloves and picked up a small wooden practice shield.
“This was your idea.” Cassandra sneered at him, already fully armored and armed, waiting impatiently for him to finish preparing. She tossed him a wooden sword that he caught smoothly with one hand.
“Do you agree to the terms?” Jeremiah picked up his helmet, considered it and then threw it aside.
He continued speaking, “For every blow I land, you owe me a kiss. “
Cassandra’s eyes narrowed. “And for every blow I land?”
“I will remove one article of clothing for my walk of shame back to my quarters.” Jeremiah grinned at the Seeker, tapping his sword against the shield eagerly. “Shall we?”
“You’re not wearing your helmet?” Cassandra remarked, pushing her own down firmly on her head.
Jeremiah shook his head.
“That’s your first mistake,” Cassandra said, lifting her sword and pointing it at him.
“Didn’t want to ruin the view,” Jeremiah replied. He took a few steps back and so did she.
Weeks of training together left them evenly matched and well aware of each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
Jeremiah landed the first blow, tapping Cassandra lightly on the shoulder with his blade. She frowned and shrugged off the hit.
“Enjoy it,” she said, lifting her shield. “It will be your last.”
The other side effect of their training meant that the two of them were used to fighting together, used to making the same moves in tandem, blocking for the other, taunting to cushion the other from blows. They tried the same strategies, followed the same patterns.
Finally Cassandra got frustrated and tried something else. She kicked at Jeremiah’s ankles, swiping his legs and tumbling him to the ground. Jeremiah landed flat on his back, his sword and shield abandoned beside him.
“That counts as two,” she said, her sword at his throat. “Me hitting you and you hitting the ground.”
“Fine, “ Jeremiah groaned. “You gonna help me up?”
Cassandra tucked the sword under her arm and reached down to help pull him to standing, but Jeremiah instead used the advantage of her distraction to slip to the side and land a blow against Cassandra’s left side. Cassandra groaned and jumped away.
“That was a dirty trick, Inquisitor!” she spat, thrusting her sword toward him.
“All’s fair in love and war, Seeker,” he responded, parrying her strike effortlessly. He turned to the small crowd around them, who had gathered to watch the sparring. The group included a handful of soldiers, refugees, along with Iron Bull and Varric. Bets were already being made among the group.
“Send them away,” Cassandra snarled, but Jeremiah was enjoying the attention too much.
They laughed at his display, which only infuriated Cassandra more. Jeremiah was showboating for the crowd, stopping to chat with the onlookers, motioning toward Cassandra, commenting on her performance. Jeremiah should have known that making fun of the Seeker in such a way was a terrible idea.
“Perhaps the stories about Miss Pentaghast were widely exaggerated? Although I am a much harder target than a dragon. Maybe we should work on those reflexes, Seeker.”
She lifted her practice sword above her head and brought it down hard. Jeremiah quickly reacted and raised his shield to block her attack, but the damage was done. Cassandra’s wooden sword broke into pieces and the force of the blow splintered the wood of his shield, knocking it hard against his shoulder. She then threw down her shield and helmet, each with a heavy clunk on the ground. The crowd erupted in cheers, laughter and shocked whispers.
Jeremiah turned, dumbfounded and gaping, clutching at his shoulder.
“I think she has won the day,” Varric exclaimed, as Cassandra angrily stormed off in a huff.
“Cassandra, wait!” Jeremiah chased her across the courtyard. He caught up with her shortly, but she did not stop to speak with him, instead he simply had to talk to her back as she weaved towards the gate.
“What about our terms?” he protested, when she finally paused to let a small group of refugees pass.
Cassandra let out a disgusted noise, and grabbed him by the collar and kissed him, hard on the mouth.
“You’ll get the other when you deserve it. If you ever deserve it.”
Jeremiah grinned and raced after her. She kept going, walking briskly through the hubbub at Skyhold. People were stopping their activities to stare at the Seeker and the Inquisitor’s outrageous display.
“I’m sorry,” he shouted. "I was an ass.”
“Yes, you were,” Cassandra continued to walk, only sneaking the smallest glance behind her as he continued on her heels.
“What can I do to get you to forgive me?” he asked.
“Admit I’m the better fighter,” she said, throwing a look behind her. She smiled to herself as she turned forward.
“I did get some hits in,” he said, as she paused again. Cassandra grumbled and kept walking, but he reached out and touched her shoulder. “Stop, please!”
Cassandra swiveled around, her face stony but otherwise unaffected.
“What?”
“Fine, you’re better than me,” he said under his breath.
“What was that?” Cassandra said loudly, so all the people around would turn to look.
Jeremiah began speaking, in a loud voice, making sure he had everyone’s attention, he put on a show, bowing and presenting Cassandra to the crowd. “You’re a better fighter, oh lady Seeker, I am not even in your league. I am…humbled to fight beside you. The Inquisition is lucky to have such a-“
“Stop,” Cassandra lifted a hand toward his mouth. “Stop this nonsense.”
Jeremiah stopped his speech, and lowered his arms. He then continued in a normal voice.
“Am I forgiven?”
“Yes,” she said, her face no longer angry and her voice was calm. “But we do have the matter of our debts.”
“I pay my debts, Seeker,” Jeremiah began taking off his armor. “What was it, 2 hits? Three if you count the one that broke my shield and your sword.”
“Inquisitor you-“
“Did we count armor as clothes? I don’t think that’s entirely fair, do you? I could take off my armor and still be completely clothed.”
Jeremiah took off his shirt and boots, standing near the gate proudly in just his trousers. The crowd was laughing and pointing. Cassandra was blushing, looking anywhere except his bare chest.
“Does this settle our bet?” he asked, gathering his clothes in a pile, enjoying the attention as the crowd grew.
“Really?” Iron Bull turned up behind them. “She hit you at least three times. You’re going to count your boots as clothing? And I thought you had balls, boss.”
“Fine,” Jeremiah began removing his trousers with no hesitation. That caused the crowd to erupt in giggles and gasps and Cassandra to completely turn away.
Jeremiah added his pants to the pile, and smiled as Iron Bull whistled loudly.
“Well done,” he said to Jeremiah, who was now standing among the gathered crowd in nothing but his small clothes.
“A bet’s a bet,” he said, shrugging. Cassandra continued to study the ground in front of her.
“I’ll take my leave, Seeker,” he then turned and walked confidently through Skyhold, waving to everyone he saw.
Cassandra buried her head in her hands.
“If I didn’t know any better.” Iron Bull leaned into her space to speak. “I’d say he did this on purpose.”
Cassandra let out a groan and blushed again as she watched the Inquisitor taking the stairs up towards the war room and his quarters. He blew a kiss to the people staring.
She sighed, and began walking in his direction. “A Pentaghast always pays their debts as well.”
When she reached him just outside his quarters, he turned with a smile to greet her.
“You are the most infuriating man I have ever met,” she spat. “Cocky, arrogant, show off…”
Jeremiah waited for her to continue, but she was too flustered.
“But, you have to admit I look pretty good under all the armor, right?”
“You!” Cassandra fumbled for words and made sure to only look directly at his face. “But we had an agreement, and I have come to pay the rest of the debt.”
“No,” he said, quietly so only she could hear. “You made your request, and I shall be ready to collect. Just like you said, when I truly deserve it. I will wait for that day eagerly. Good day, Seeker.”
With little fanfare, he pushed the door to his room open and left her standing on the other side of it, her mouth open in surprise. Cassandra sighed and turned to face the other direction, but she heard a voice calling her name so she whipped her head around. It was Jeremiah, poking his head around the door to his quarters.
“I was just thinking, technically you hit my shield and my shield hit me, so that counts as another hit.”
“It’s fine.” Cassandra shook her head.
“No,” Jeremiah opened the door a inch farther. Cassandra could see him shuffling and moving around behind it. “I believe I owe you these.”
He reached out and handed Cassandra his small clothes. Cassandra took them, for lack of time to fully process what had happened. Jeremiah winked at her and opened the door another inch. She didn’t look.
He looked at the small crowd outside his quarters and gave a small bow. Gasps of shock and disapproval could be heard throughout the hall. Josephine would have a field day with this tomorrow.
“Now that the bet is fully paid, I should go,” Jeremiah pulled his door shut again with a bang so loud Cassandra jumped. Her eyes were still tightly closed and she still held his small clothes loosely in her hand. She opened one eye, then the other, and saw that everyone was looking at her.
The nobles gathered around his throne tittered with laughter, and Cassandra quickly composed herself, throwing his small clothes down to the ground as if they were on fire and heading back toward the practice yard to clean up the mess they’d left.
Behind the door, Jeremiah stood smirking. He pulled on his trousers and shirt and immediately began practicing with the sword he kept in his quarters. It had all been worth it, for just that one special kiss.