Just my Soul Responding

Things with Rosie were, well she was the most amazing person he'd ever met in his entire life, more or less. Though he wasn't always the greatest at expressing his feelings for her, and she had been quite busy with schooling the last few years, there were times he wasn't sure she understood just how badly he was falling for her. He hoped that perhaps by introducing her to his sister that maybe she'd see just how serious he was, maybe.

They arrived at Maeve and Lucien's estate and Vincent was in awe. He'd never been to Lucien's estate, he'd lost it to the LaRue's when Vincent had known Lucien. Crazy to think how Lucien went from rich noble to just getting by fence back to rich noble. Though Vincent had heard through the grapevine that Lucien was still dabbling with fencing goods for people, though he was a lot pickier about it.

Vincent range the door bell and looked to Rosalie at his side.

My first time, I didn't realise the place was so big, I mean it's not bigger than some of the Grey Warden fortresses I've seen but still! Also I hope you aren't too nervous, I'm sure Maeve is going to love you, I'm really excited for you two to meet.

True to his at times reserved nature; Vincent had not yet revealed what was Rosalie Rutherford to him. The former bard had made her own theories of course, and gossiped them with her lover, but tonight would be when she’d know the truth.

The brunette had arranged a simple diner, knowing that her brother did not like over the top fancy stuff. The former bard was wearing a comfortable turquoise dress as she made her way to the main door, refusing to make someone of the staff open the door to her sibling.

Maeve had researched a bit about Rosalie using her contacts, but there was little to know about her. Her brother Cullen was quite famous for obvious reasons, but about Rosie the only known thing was that she was a soon to be doctor and a medical researcher in the university. With the help of Lucien they had also found out that she was generally sweet and known for a shy and sweet demeanor

Huh, she did not expect that to be her brother’s type but well, to each one it’s own.

She had nothing against Rosalie but her sibling instincts were kicking in she supposed and once she opened the door Maeve examined carefully Rosalie as she greeted them both. “Good evening! It’s a pleasure to have you here for diner!” said the former bard as she let them in with a gesture “Diner is served but if you wish we can have a drink before in the dining room? To have a bit of a relaxed talk, after all I do not know anything about your friend” Maeve tried to tone down the incoming interrogatory by smiling in a innocent and sweet way to Rosie who was blushing as hard as she had ever seen someone blush.

Rosalie partially listened to her friend as she looked at the door in front of her “Yeah, a bit nervous” how could she not be? She had done her last exam this very morning and now she was experiencing a mixture of tiredness from the accumulated tension due to the fact that her exams were done and the nerves of meeting Maeve. If it was up to Rosalie, she’d have spent the whole afternoon sleeping and then gone out for a peaceful walk, but she had not been able to refuse Vincent’s request back then and she was not going to leave him hanging now.

The doctor could see the similarities between the siblings as Maeve opened the door, but there was something very intimidating in the smile that Maeve was directing on her way. There was something on the smile of the woman that made her feel as if she was in an exam again, one that she did not know how to pass.

“Eh sure, I…” said Rosie as she made her way towards the room “I will gladly tell you more about me!” well actually Rosie would rather eat a shoe than to be the center of a conversation but she understood Maeve’s desire of knowing more about herself.

Vincent was happy to see his sister, with the blight going on the Grey Wardens were quite busy so between that and the fact that Vincent had been spending most of his spare time with Rosalie, had left less time for his sister than he would have liked after having spent something like a decade apart. He nodded eagerly to the idea of drinks, he imagined that Rosalie could probably use something to take the edge off as well. He understood how nerve wracking it could be to meet new people, especially in a social situation.

This place is beautiful, I mean I knew Lucien when he'd been slumming it, I knew he'd had estates that he'd lost, but I had no idea just.... I mean wow! He smiled at Rosie when they got to the room for the drinks, a sympathetic wink just between the two of them. He decided to change the topic of conversation at least long enough for Rosalie to get her mind wrapped around everything. So does this mean Lucien's gone legit or, does he still have his side job?

“He does a bit of stuff on the side, but mainly in order to help old contacts; we make enough with the result of the legit work” said Maeve as she served the drinks; alcohol to the guests and lemonade with some mint for herself. “But he will be able to tell you himself; he will join us soon, after finishing some duties”

Maeve sat down in the couch “but do tell us more about yourself darling” said Maeve, fixing her gaze on Vincent’s companion “Congratulations on becoming a doctor, by the way” said the brunette as she sipped “But I am curious about the person that has become so close to my dear brother. Share a bit of information! I only know that you are Ferelden and quite fantastic considering that my brother has showered you in praise” everybody had faults and she wanted to identify Rosalie’s in order to determine if she was good enough for her brother.

“Thank you” she said as she sat down, sipping nervously from her drink “for the drink and the congratulations” she added, turning even redder as she heard that Vincent had spoken highly of herself. She cleaned the sweat from her palms subtly.

“I fear that Vincent has overdone the praise, I am just a normal girl from Honnleath” said Rosalie as she took a bigger sip to calm herself, ending up coughing half of it when she felt the burn in her throat “Sorry! I am a bit nervous. What I mean is that likely there’s little interesting to tell! Uhm…I do have an scar for one time that I climbed a tree as a child?” great now she was sounding like if she was stupid

“The drink is delicious!” she added quietly to break the silence.

Vincent hadn't really considered just how much time he'd spent recently talking about Rosalie, his face flushed slightly with embarrassment not just for himself but feeling for Rosalie being in the hot seat so to speak. He hated he feeling like she was being put on the spot, but then he couldn't fault his sister for wanting to know more about Rosalie either, it was a very precarious position to be in.

Oh, Rosalie, tell her about your plans to stay in Orlais after you get finished with your degree, that is all certainly most interesting, at least it was to me. He smiled warmly as he tried to offer up talking points to Rosalie, then breathed a sigh of relief when Lucien walked in, being quite sure that Lucien would make things a bit more even when it came to the conversations.

Lucien finally finished up some paperwork and correspondence he'd been busy with all that afternoon. He'd meant to be finished with it before Rosalie and Vincent arrived, a promise made to Maeve, but things had spilled over and he had once again lost track of time. He arrived in the room just in time to hear Vincent telling Rosalie she should tell him about her plans once she was done with her degree.

Ah, so you're staying in Orlais, well Vincent will be happy about that. I'm afraid I don't know much about your degree, only that it is something that kept you out of any of my classes and in a different section of the school Lucien got himself a drink and sat down by Maeve.

"Thanks for joining us darling" said Maeve as she kissed her lover's cheek when he sat down next to her

“Oh so you are staying in Orlais! That’s so nice. I assume that it’s easier to continue your studies and research and formation in a place like the university right?” said Maeve as she sipped from her glass of wine. She was torn, on one hand she was glad of that the news made her sibling happy, on the other she had not yet formed an opinion about Rosalie.

A logical part of her knew that she was being innecesarity suspicious, that in other case she would have passed the girl as a normal shy woman but her older sibling instinct was a bad combination with her bard training that told her to instinctively mistrust people.

“And Vincent I assume that if she stays you will visit her more right? I am sure of that Rosalie is looking forwards to that” said Maeve as she fixed her gaze again on the blonde.

“Well I studied Medicine, focusing on the medical rather than the surgical part which is why likely we haven’t seen each other in the University” said the blonde warmly. She definitively liked Lucien more which was a pity; Rosalie knew that she didn’t excel in social interaction but she was really looking forwards to make a good impression, and clearly by Maeve’s way of interacting with her she was totally doing the opposite

Rosie wondered what she was doing wrong, and how she could fix it.

“I am moving in a couple of weeks from the campus to a more quiet, and bigger apartment. Before I could hardly invite visits, but now that I will have my own space Vincent will be welcomed whenever he has a chance to visit me” said the doctor as she smiled at him shyly.

In some ways Lucien was getting to know Vincent all over again, since their first interactions had been nearly a decade earlier and under much different circumstances. It felt like another life time ago now and it was in a way. He was glad to see that Vincent was happy, not just because they'd once been friends, but also because Lucien knew it meant a lot to Maeve that her brother was happy and in a good place.

He grinned at Maeve when she mentioned she assumed Vincent would visit more now that Rosalie would be staying in Orlais.

Come now Maeve, I'm sure Vincent would have found reasons to visit her no matter where she'd ended up. He said in a slightly teasing tone. It was fairly evident by the way that Vincent looked at Rosalie that the man was smitten. Then he turned his attention back to Rosalie for a moment. Ah, yes, medicine one of the most noblest of pursuits and not an easy degree to earn either. It definitely takes someone with both a keen mind and iron stomach, as well as a compassionate bedside manner, tis most impressive.

It was true, Vincent definitely would have found reasons to visit Rosalie even if she had chosen to go back to Ferelden instead of remaining in Orlais. In act, unbeknown to the others, he had actually planned on transferring to the Ferelden Grey Wardens if Rosalie had gone back to Ferelden. Which not only would have put them in the same kingdom, but the same town. Now that would no longer be necessary, which the Warden-commander was happy about as he hadn't wanted to have to train a new Warden-constable.

Your accommodations on campus were still preferable to what my accommodations generally are, a tent on the outskirts of town. He tried to make a joke but it didn't really quite land, but then it was hard to make a joke when one was considering that once Rosalie had the apartment, they would actually be able to have some alone time together and he just wasn't sure what that would look like just yet. Sure there were feelings there, but he still worried he'd fuck shit up. Turning back to his sister and Lucien.

“Well, Vincent has a lot of duties here, as fond as he might be of Miss Rutherford, likely he can’t put those duties aside in order to follow her around, don’t you brother?” it was petty and juvenile, but the idea of her brother running behind Rosalie to Ferelden made her jealous, of course not in a romantic way but in the sense of that they had just reconnected, thus she had zero desire to lose her brother again, let alone to an stranger. Maeve was genuinely impressed of Rosalie’s strengths, as Lucien said, it was not easy to achieve such degree but she wan’t in a praisy mood.

“You know brother, if you ever desire better acomodations, I am sure of that Lucien can help you with that” said Maeve with a sweet smile “Besides, we do have a strong reason to keep you around more now, I have exciting news for you” said the brunette grabbing the hand of her lover.

“You are going to be an uncle!” said Maeve genuinely cheerful, even if a part of her was not keen of having Rosalie in this private moment. She had not decided yet that she liked the woman.

“Thank you mister Beauvauis, your words are very kind. If I am right, you do teach or belong to some extent to the university of Orlais too right? In which department if I can ask? I am sure of that it’s fascinating too” she recalled Vincent mentioning something before coming to the diner but she was not completely sure about what it was.

“Of course, I can only offer the same thing that your sister says” added the blonde at Maeve’s words “My house will have two bedrooms and a studio which leaves the second bedroom useless; is yours to take if you need a more comfortable place to stay when you are in the city” because otherwise that would be the guest room for her family, whenever they came to visit but it wasn’t like if Vincent stayed always in Val Royeaux so she could use it to invite over both her family and friends.

"That is amazing! Congratulations!" said Rosalie quietly; despite of the fact that Maeve had not told her anything harsh, there was something in her voice and in how she had pointedly looked at Vincent instead of her while telling the news that made her feel like an intruder tonight.

There was something in Maeve's tone when she spoke about Rosalie and her brother having time or not to visit her and the way she was using a formal way of addressing her instead of just using her given name like Lucien was. He'd almost say that she was jealous, but that felt strange, he'd never really seen Maeve jealous before. Still, Rosalie was a guest and clearly someone important to Vincent for him to bring her here, so Lucien wanted to be as kind as possible.

Maeve dear, I would think with the title warden-constable would come some leeway in how he spends his spare time, blight or no blight. He gave Maeve a strong look, if looks could talk his look would say, 'what the fuck has come over you, you sound like a crazy person. Ya know what, don't tell me now, but I'm asking about this later!' As Rosalie answered Lucien's question, Lucien nodded and smiled warmly.

Mainly the history department but I do dabble in archaeology, which let's be fair, it's basically hands on history. Then he switched focus to watch Maeve give Vincent the good news, she certainly seemed to come at it rather abruptly, there wasn't any real segue into the topic change. Though in all fairness it had been part of why they'd invited her brother over this evening. He just gave Maeve another funny look and then smiled as Rosalie congratulated them.