The scent of old parchment mingled with the faint stink of burnt wood wafted 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 his plated armor and 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 gray 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.<|im_end|>
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 on a brave face. 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 Circle gave her to them, 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 practicing 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."<|im_end|>