You’d Be Harding In Hightown

Lilya swallowed a laugh and pressed her lips together tightly. "Nope. Wouldn't dream of it."

"Oh, shut up, Doc."

"I didn't say anything!"

"You didn't have to!" Leaning back to sit beside her, Illario didn't fuss when she threaded her fingers through his hair and kissed the ball of his shoulder. "This is your family. What do you want to do? What do you want me to do?"

He was rewarded with a soft smile and a caress to his face, which helped to ease some of his disquiet. "Stay with me? Ride this horrible, horrible ride with me and then take me home and then promise to never look at our phones ever again."

He kissed her crown and took in the scent of her shampoo, resting his cheek on top of her head. "Absolutely. You want me to destroy our phones now? Seems much more productive than crying woe is me."

"No… but maybe ask me again later, depending on how badly this dinner goes."

Lilya wrapped her arms around his torso and threw a leg over his, and they wallowed in mutual self-pity and gathered whatever comfort they could find in the embrace. Illario heard the stomp of heavy boots on the floor of the corridor and a slam of a door further down the hall, shortly followed by loud, angry metal music, only slightly muffled through the walls. Lilya sighed and buried her face deeper into him, arms tightening their hold.

"What are the chances that Viago's already drunk by the time he gets home?" she asked. "Maybe I can bribe Jacobus, his work experience kid. I could convince him to drug my brother so he won't remember a damn thing about tonight."

"Probably not the best idea, Doc," Illario said, rubbing her arm. "Let's try to get through this dinner without poisoning one of your siblings, hmm?"

"Huh."

"What?"

"You're much more magnanimous than either of them would be about you. Don't let Ilene near your plate."

"Doc—"

"Seriously."

"You know… I may need your help guarding my loins after all."

Lilya grinned and nodded, stretching up to place a soft peck against his lips, which he returned instinctively. "I told you."

Thank the Maker for Teia Cantori.

The woman could talk underwater, and that innate ability dulled the edge of the evening's unyielding awkwardness. Not by much, but enough to ensure that Lilya didn't stab herself in the eye to avoid Ilene's scalding stare and Viago's gaze swinging between them. He always knew when something was wrong with one of his sisters, but thankfully Illario's presence kept their older brother from airing any potential dirty laundry.

"… And so I fired the bastard," Teia said nonchalantly, cutting into her ribeye.

Viago blinked twice and turned to Teia. "I'm sorry. Did you just say you fired the head of your team?"

His partner nodded and chewed happily. "Sure did."

Viago shook his head and tutted under his breath, picking up his napkin to dab at the corner of his mouth. Lilya continued to eat and admire the floral centrepiece that his staff must have created for the evening. Normally, Viago opted out of anything on the table where they ate, but he knew Teia and Lilya adored flowers. The choice of surf and turf and the spread of more humble foods—that was for Ilene. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, Viago always catered to his girls.

"So," he began, lifting his glass of wine, "Ilene. Tell us about your… escapades… now that you've been discharged from the army."

The youngest at the table sighed and looked up at him through her lashes, a small frown playing at her lips. "As if you don't already know."

"Pretend I don't and tell me anyway."

Ilene grumbled and set her cutlery down, casting a glare over the table at Illario. "The usual. Attempted murder. Arson. Kidnapping."

"E-excuse me?" Illario choked.

"What?" Ilene sneered, eyeing him up and down. "I run a small security team that protects people from getting killed and abducted. Got a problem with that, lover boy?"

Illario shook his head and raised his hands in the air in a sign of surrender. "That's just… not what I expected to hear from an ex-soldier."

"Well, I expected a lovely reunion with my sister, but—"

"H-how is your team? Taash and Davrin, was it? How are they doing?" Lilya interrupted, clutching Illario's hand under the table, pointedly ignoring the narrowing of Viago's eyes in her direction.

"Fine."

"Do they have time off because you're here, or are they on a case?"

"They're here, on a case with me."

"Ahh, that's nice—"

"How are you, Lilya? The key drama from the other day all sorted and accounted for?" Viago interjected, a quick look passing between him and Ilene that Lilya did not miss.

She took a second to ponder how she should answer that question.

"Did she lose them? She probably found them in lover boy's pants," Ilene snickered, toying with the peas on her plate.

"What was that?" Teia asked, leaning in with a sly grin on her face.

"Oh, nothing. Lilya's just very good at finding things, I hear. Always willing to go the extra mile and get down on her hands and knees—"

"Ilene!"

"Oh, really?" Teia snickered, large brown eyes settling on Lilya before winking in solidarity.

Viago, however, did not seem impressed and either did not catch it or was willfully ignoring what Ilene was alluding to. He cleared his throat and glared daggers at his partner, then turned his stare back to Lilya.

"Well, go on then. Why did you call me asking if I still had your keys? It was a rather odd call to receive if you hadn't lost yours. Did something else happen in that cursed apartment?"

"The apartment has never done anything to you, Viago," Lilya deflected.

"You're evading the question. Why?"

Lilya rolled her eyes. "I am not evading. I've just not responded in a time frame King Viago has deemed quick enough." She sighed. "Yes. Yes. I thought I lost the damn keys, okay? But I made a mistake, and everything is fine. I'm fine. My keys are fine. Your keys are fine. Can we just keep eating now? Please pass the asparagus, Teia."

She could feel her face flush. Too aggressive, far too aggressive, too soon. Perhaps she could play it off as irritation from her interaction with Ilene earlier; better to admit to being caught in an embarrassing situation than admit to them what was happening and drag them into it.

Helping herself to a few pieces of the passed asparagus, she tried to turn the focus back on Ilene. "Anyway, anything you can tell me about this case your team is working on? You looking after anyone I'd know?"

Viago and Ilene did not bother to hide the concern on their faces as they shared another look; all teasing mirth had drained from her sister's expression, and a cloud of gloom hovered over her older brother's head. What had passed between them? Had Ilene already tattled to Viago about Illario? This felt like more than just censuring her (a grown woman!) about what she did in the privacy of her own bloody bedroom, and Lilya could tell by the unease in the pit of her stomach that something was definitely off.

Teia wiped her mouth on her napkin and reached over to Viago, squeezing his hand like it was a code between them. Her brother nodded tersely without tearing his eyes from Ilene's. Her best friend stood up and smiled that dazzling smile over to Illario, gesturing for him to stand with her. Lilya watched as his brows furrowed, and he took a chance to look over at her quickly to ensure she was comfortable with him leaving. The lucky bastard. She promised herself that she would be sure to give Teia an earful for leaving her to this tank of sharks. Lilya leaned over and gave him a peck on his cheek before he neatly folded his napkin and politely excused himself.

"Come, Illario," Teia said. "Let us tour the gardens, it being your first time here. They are truly a marvel to see. Plus, it will give these siblings a chance to talk about you behind your back."

Illario looked between her and the rest of the table, clearly unsure what to do without making everything worse for both him and Lilya. Teia left him with no choice by walking over and slipping her arm into his. "And I expect a full update tonight," she said to the table. Viago made an assenting noise in his throat that she took as agreement before pulling Illario along, chatting excitedly about the giant cherry blossom tree in the middle of the main gardens. The pair had barely left the room when Ilene started in.

"Soooo… you and the Dellamorte, huh? Can't see what you see in him personally, but I'm not the one who has to swallow her pride—"

"Illario has been nothing but a gentleman, Ilene," Lilya interrupted, unwilling to let her sister disparage her boyfriend, especially as he was not there to defend himself from her sharp tongue.

"Is that what you call this afternoon? Him being a gentleman?" Her laugh was acerbic and cut through Lilya with such precision that she was sure she'd been run through by a brand-new scalpel. "If he were a gentleman, you'd think he'd be doing the heavy lifting, but you were still doing all of the work—"

"What's this about? What work was Lilya doing here?" Viago asked, a brief flash of confusion crossing his features.

"Work? It wasn't work per se, more like a type of job—"

"Ilene!" Lilya repeated, cheeks flushing at her sister's brazenness. "Cut me some slack, would you?"

The younger woman licked the inside of her cheek and thought about it for a few seconds before shaking her head. "Yeah, no. I'm not doing that."

Viago sighed heavily and rolled his eyes at his sisters' antics. "I don't care to know whatever it is you two are blathering on about, but from what we've seen of Illario"—Ilene's snort made him pause—"he's been good for Lilya. And I am sure he knows that if he were anything less than, he would not be welcome at our table and definitely not in her life."

"I think you'll find it was Lilya being the good girl for him."

Both siblings groaned and promptly ignored that comment, neither comfortable with continuing down that road. Lilya did not want to broach the topic of any kind of sex with her brother, and she was certain he'd rather stuff his ears with the remaining asparagus than hear about what happened under his roof earlier that day. A heavy silence blanketed the dining room, only the sounds of Lilya's lightly clinking cutlery against the fine china. She cast her eyes over the pattern. It was her mother's favourite set, clean, simple, gold-rimmed, and—

"Lilya."

She wondered how many pieces were left. She recalled that quite a few plates were broken by her stepfather the terrible night her mother had passed away. One of the few occasions the man had shown actual affection for her mother—

"Lilya."

Perhaps she could ask Viago for the set—

"Lilya de Riva!" her brother scolded her, his tone snapping her out of her daze, harsher than a physical slam of the table. "Are you even listening?"

A slight shrug of her shoulders was her only reply, earning her a cluck of his tongue and a tick in the vein above his right eye. "Yes, Viago. I am listening."

"I call bullshit on that, Princess. Even I wasn't listening." Ilene smirked, stuffing a prawn in her mouth and eating it whole.

"You are not helping, Ilene," Viago ground out, shooting her a stern look… which did absolutely nothing to the ex-soldier, who stared back at him with a growing grin.

"Agree to disagree, Viago."

The head of their family pushed himself away from the table, crossing his leg over his knee and tenting his fingers… then seemingly counted to ten.

"So this business with your keys—"

"What is this obsession you have with my keys, Viago?" Lilya cut in. "Have you lost your keys recently?"

"Aaaaand she deflects. Classic psych trick," Ilene quipped, popping a honeyed carrot in her mouth with her fingers, a smug little smile teasing at her mouth.

She loved her sister. She loved her sister. She loved her sister! 

"No, I haven't," Viago replied. "I know exactly where they are and who has access to my home at all times." He sat back in the dining chair, blue eyes piercing into Lilya's green. "Do you?"

It was such a simple question and yet so loaded. Lilya knew that her brother was delving into dangerous territory on purpose. He knew something was up; he always did. Even when she was a kid pretending to have finished her dinner only to have thrown it in the garbage… he had managed to find the exact bin from the many rooms of the house and confront her about it. And then he made her eat a whole new meal in front of him to ensure she ate it all. Lilya had the distinct feeling that in this instance, Viago would stop at nothing until he got the full story and made her move back into the villa, where he could watch her and check where her damn keys were every day.

"Simple question, Princess," Ilene added, twirling a shining silver knife in between her fingers as she stared her down, the glint in her eye morphing from cheek to concern.

Dropping her cutlery to the table and ignoring the clattering they made against the porcelain, Lilya mirrored Viago's posture and huffed at both of them in utter disbelief. The one time these two were in alignment, and it was to barrage her relentlessly over something that wasn't even—

Wait.

Wait.

These bloody bastards.

"What job did you say you were here on, Bug?" she asked, redirecting her line of sight upon her freckled sibling.

Ilene shrugged. "Didn't."

"Lilya—" Viago began.

Ilene continued like he hadn't spoken. "Simple question," she repeated, leaning forward. "And if it had a simple answer, you wouldn't be avoiding it like the plague."

"I already said I made a mistake. Now, can we please drop this and continue our meal?" Lilya picked up her fork and started stabbing at the vegetables in front of her, promptly ignoring the beat of her heart banging in her eardrums. "I need to ask your cook how they make these carrots—"

"You? Cooking?" Ilene snorted, crossing her arms. "Now I'm convinced this is a cry for help."

"Ilene," Viago tried again, "enough now."

She turned her intense gaze to their brother. "You're the one who called me, Viago."

And that was it, the final confirmation Lilya needed. "You son of a bitch," she scoffed, fixing her narrowed eyes on Viago as well. "Because I called you once, you freak out and call Ilene here? Really? Can you be normal for two minutes?"

"Certainly," Viago responded coolly. "If you can stop lying to me for just as long."

His strong brows furrowed, and his countenance darkened as he looked at her. He could always read her like a well-loved children's book, always knew what she was thinking before he even turned the page on her story.

"I know there's something more here than you're letting on," he said. "Tell us what's wrong. We can't help if we don't know what's happening."

The urge to lie was great, to tell him he was mistaken and everything was fine, that her life was just perfect and he had absolutely nothing to worry about. But she couldn't. So instead, she scoffed again and continued eating even as the honey tasted like ash in her mouth. A rustle of clothes, the scrape of wood against wood as a chair moved back, and a clearing of a throat followed by a feminine cough alerted her to Ilene gearing up for an attack.

"Lover boy there—"

"Bug, please be nice. If not for him, for me."

"Alright, alright, whatever. Illario then. How long have you been going out with him exactly?"

"A few months. I told you this already."

"Mm-hmm, but just how much do you really know about him?"

"I can't profess to know everything, but Teia likes him. She's known him for more than half of her life, and she has no qualms about me being with him. Does that satisfy you?" she asked, her tone half-pleading, knowing full well the answer was a resounding no.

As she expected, Ilene's interrogation went on. "And he's stayed at your apartment, I presume. You're still living in the same building, right? The one where the wind looks like it could unlock the vestibule out front?"

Scratching her head and pressing her lips together to block anything coming out of her mouth unbidden, Lilya sent a blank stare over to her sister. "Why do you guys hate on my apartment so much? I remember that place you and Zalan lived in for a few months after college before Viago dragged you back home! That place was so shifty, even the rats looked afraid to be there."

A soft chuckle escaped Ilene's mouth. "Yeah, those were some good times. But not what we're discussing here. Nice try, Princess! What we shouldbe talking about is finally getting you a security system in that place."

"Oh, I already have one, so that's all good," Lilya replied without thinking. A rookie mistake if there ever was one. Stupid, really. She watched as Ilene and Viago dropped all pretense of their dinner being a simple get-together when it was truly an elaborate ambush served with appetizers. They both rounded on her, Viago leaning forward to rest his forearms onto the edge of the table and Ilene shuffling over to sit in Illario's vacated seat, effectively caging her in her spot.

"Why did you need one?"

"What happened?"

"Shit, Princess, are you okay?"

"What happened, Lilya?"

"So those were the main gardens!" Teia's voice rang out ahead of her, obnoxiously loud and clear to announce their arrival so the de Rivas could prepare accordingly. The door swung open, and Lilya had never felt more thrilled to see Illario and her best friend, beaming up at them as though they were the Maker and Andraste there to save her. Taking one sweep of the room with her eyes, Teia released Illario and clapped her hands together happily. "Hello, my darling de Rivas! Shall we have dessert?"

"We're not quite done having our talk, Teia—"

"Pshh, you can talk again a little later, Vi. You have guests. Besides, we passed Imelda and she said she was serving it, so that's that, hmm? Did you all have fun catching up?"

"We were not catching up."

Ilene smirked. "I mean, I had fun at least."

"Did Imelda say what we were having?" Lilya tried. "I should really go say hi to her. It's been so long since I've seen her—"

Viago stood up from his seat before Lilya could and stared her down, silently daring her to flee, both knowing that she would not, and it was just another futile attempt at escape and diversion. Catching Illario's worried glance, she offered him a tight smile, taking far longer to fix the napkin on her lap than normal to avoid looking at her siblings.

Sending a prayer to whoever heard her, Lilya sighed in relief when Imelda and other staff members cleared their plates and served each of them a generous helping of berries and panna cotta, one of her favourite dishes growing up as a child. A feeling of warmth washed over her, but it was quickly subdued each time she received a glare from Viago or a barely concealed huff from Ilene, both boring holes into either side of her head. Testing her luck, she allowed herself to glance at her sister, who had given her a reprieve and was glaring at Illario instead, who was pointedly looking back at her from Ilene's previous seat; her sister had made it abundantly clear that she would not be moved from her new position at Lilya's side.

The conversation ebbed and flowed, largely carried by Teia and Lilya with the odd polite addition from Illario. Ilene only grunted every few minutes or so as she ate. Viago refrained from engaging in further talk, pulling a face with every bite of his dessert as though someone had poisoned it. By the time the staff came around to pour coffee for the others and cioccolata calda for Lilya (which Illario smiled at, earning what sounded like a growl from Ilene beside her), Viago had had enough.

Slamming his palm onto the table so hard it shook, Viago glared at Lilya, hard and uncompromising, jaw set firm and blue eyes blazing. "This is ludicrous. I am not waiting another damn minute, Lilya. You tell me now: what the hell is going on? Why did you want to know if I still had your keys? Why, after all this time, do you suddenly have a security system when before you were happy to leave your doors unlocked?"

"You did what?" Illario asked, eyebrows almost disappearing into his hairline.

Lilya waved away his incredulity. "It was one time when I first moved in. The AC was broken, and I wanted more circulation in the apartment before the electrician came. He makes it sound like I'm completely delusional and just kept it open all the damn time!"

"Tell me," Viago demanded. "I'm done with this."

She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, taking her time to inhale and exhale while the entire room waited for her to talk. Releasing a shaky breath she knew they all heard, Lilya peered up into Illario's deep azure gaze, and he offered a strained but kind smile, nodding empathetically.

"Perhaps, Doc… perhaps it is best if you tell them. The more help you have, the better it is for you. That's all I want, to keep you safe." He paused and gave her a larger smile, eyes entreating. "You were probably going to tell them eventually when it all cleared. Better you do it now and no longer feel the need to hide anything."

"Oh, are you pregnant?" Teia chirped, clapping her hands together excitedly.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lilya could see Ilene considering whether to attack Illario or slap her sister over the head, but thankfully, the little minx chose to remain seated and keep her hands to herself.

"Oh, Maker… is that it? You let this one get you knocked up and you already have baby brain?"  "No, that isn't it," Viago said quietly, still watching Lilya over his entwined fingers.

"That's a shame. Illario and Lilya would make gorgeous babies," Teia sighed, scooping another spoonful of the panna cotta into her mouth.

Lilya could feel a heat pulsing behind her eyes and bloom upon her cheeks, all the while a cold sweat ran down her back at the mere notion of having to admit to her family the unpleasant truth of it all. An unplanned pregnancy would have been preferred. A baby was a wonderful thing; a perverse stalker not so much. But she knew Illario was right. Eventually, she would have told Ilene or Teia about it… but not Viago. The man worried about her like it was a competitive sport, and no one could defeat him. She did not want him to worry, but when she glanced around the room, it was apparent that ship had long sailed.

"I…" She trailed off, her voice already cracking before she had truly begun. "I don't know how, but I—" She paused, unable to force her mouth around the words resting on the tip of her tongue.

"Do you want me to continue?" Illario asked, the softness in his voice belying the courage it took to make the offer under her siblings' scrutiny. A watery smile was all she could give him before shaking her head; she knew she had to do it herself. What was the point of all the bravado and reclamation she had spouted, the almost public sex show they performed that night when the cameras were put in, if she could not even say it? The shame she felt, the fear and the guilt she carried from keeping it from the ones she loved most, should not be hers to bear. It was not her fault. It was not. Her. Fault.

"I have a stalker."

There. Simple. Now everyone knew.

A moment of stillness passed before Lilya noticed the worried crinkle of Teia's brow, the instant colouring of Ilene's ears, the rage and fear that shone out of Viago's eyes. Lilya did not hear what they were saying, if they were saying anything at all, as a cacophony of white noise rose steadily in her ears, and the only thing providing solace was Illario's concerned but proud expression. Even though he was across the table, she could almost feel her hand being squeezed by his. Keep going, Doc.

One breath. She could do it all in one breath.

"We only found out about it recently. He's been in my house, and he's taken some things of mine, the scarf Ilene gave me and… and one of my negligees. And… he's been taking pictures. There are so many pictures of me."

Breathe. One breath after another.

Teia gasped, eyes shining with unshed tears. A murmured slew of expletives that didn't even make sense dripped from Ilene's scowling mouth, and Viago—the one she expected to scream and shout and break everything near him at learning all this—sat still, blinking quickly, the pads of his thumb and forefinger rubbing along one another as he thought.

"Are… Are you alright?" he finally asked.

Lilya could see how much he was trying to control himself for her sake. Just like he knew her, she knew him. The need to scream and shout and break things was still all there, roiling beneath his skin. She could hear his silent vows, the noiseless beating of his chest as he promised to raze the earth for his little sister and the crimes committed against her. Even so, his worry for her was paramount; he needed to know she was still okay, first and foremost.

Embracing the surge of emotion crashing over her, she pushed off from her chair and threw her arms around his shoulders, burying her face into the crook of his neck. Her hands were shaking, as was her whole body, the rush of adrenaline pumping through her veins wreaking havoc on her control, but she didn't care. She was with her brother, the man who had been like a father to her since she was three, and somehow, he was going to help them make it all better again.

Viago carefully wrapped his arms around her, unsure of where to lay his hands down, or if he even should, but when she did not flinch from his touch, he settled for the middle of her back, patting her gently as though he were soothing a child, woken from a nightmare. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes before parting. Viago cleared his throat and blinked rapidly again, to banish the sheen from his eyes, and then, in true de Riva fashion, took a long sip of coffee and set his eyes on Ilene—already waiting for orders, just like a soldier.

Her sister's scrutinising gaze fell back on Lilya as she sat again, softened by the fingers she threaded through Lilya's own. "Okay, Princess. Tell us everything, from the beginning."

"… And when we received that latest package, Illario had his team install cameras in my apartment and at his home. He has his security team monitoring around my building and office. They're handling it," Lilya detailed, breathing out heavily once all was said and done.

"Not alone they're bloody not," Ilene scoffed with a wry twist of her mouth, arms crossed on her chest. "That's why I'm here. Dav and Taash too. I'll call in my team, and you"—she said, pointing at Illario—"you call yours. And hell, we should bring Neve in too." She shook her head at Lilya. "You know, for someone so smart, you're fucking dumb. What the hell is the point of being connected and well off if you don't bloody use any of it?"

Lilya wanted to laugh and remind Ilene that she was the pot calling the kettle black, but it was neither the time nor the place to do it, especially with Viago listening in so attentively. The last thing they needed was another squabble between the two of them about Ilene using her talents at deRivaRx instead of playing war or being a bodyguard.

"Bug, I just want to go home and rest."

"You are home, Lilya," Viago said, reaching over to squeeze her arm reassuringly. "You are not going back there tonight, or any other night if I can help it, until this is sorted out."

"Vi, this is another reason I didn't want to tell you. I am not going to be chased out of my home, not by them and not by you—no, please don't tell me you're not trying to do that. I know you. I know you mean well, but I won't be bullied into anything just because I'm a little scared."

He frowned and sat back, displeased with her response. The cogs in his brain were already working; she could practically see him spinning it to make it work in his favour, damn Teia's marketing influence on him. "Then just stay the night, please. For me. Let Ilene call in her team, and we'll get a plan truly in place, and then you and I, all of us, can rest a little better tonight. Please, Little Bird."

"He has a point, Doc." Illario said, shrugging like it was a no-brainer. "The sooner this is all over, the sooner we will never have to worry about it again. You stay here and—"

"We," she corrected. "We stay here. If I am, you are."

Ilene made a sort of grumbling noise and muttered something under her breath whilst openly glaring at Illario. Lilya knew she had probably wanted to keep it within the family like Viago, but Illario was already a part of it all. He had to be included.

He was also the only reason she could sleep through the night.

"If you feel that strongly about it, then we can have a room made up for him—"

"Pfft, why?" Ilene barked a laugh. "He's had the tour of the house, and he knows Lilya's suite very well. There's no need for a different room, maybe just another couch—ow! Andraste's flaming tits, what the fuck, Princess?" she screeched, rubbing at the tender spot on her just-kicked shin.

"Hmm? Not sure what you're talking about. Are you okay, dear? So odd that you can get hurt just sitting down; you must be more careful, Bug!"

"You vile wench. Fair play."

Viago groaned and ran his hand down his face, almost looking close to pulling on his beard at their buffoonery, a look of disdain colouring his gaze. When he turned to her, Lilya thought it might be wise to just shrivel up and die right on the spot. "I'm sure I don't want to know… I'll ask for extra towels and toiletries to be placed in the bathroom then. He looks similar in size to me. I'll lend him one of my pyjama sets—don't say another word, Ilene. No, no, I don't trust what you were about to say, and frankly, I don't trust my stomach's ability to hold my dinner down if you say another word regarding… things. Illario, are you happy to stay then? For Lilya's sake?"

Illario held Viago's stare and nodded without hesitation. "Of course. If you're open to having me, I would love to stay and help however I can." Pulling out his phone, he rose from the table. "If you'll excuse me, I just need to call my security team. I won't be a second."

The room went quiet; only Ilene's hisses and rubbing at her "mortally injured leg" could be heard as the rest of them listened in on Illario's conversation with the head of Dellamorte security. Lilya's eyes swept over to her brother when Illario informed them they were to stay at the de Riva villa that night and that no, they did not need extra security; they were completely taken care of there—a sentiment she knew Viago would appreciate. Her boyfriend acknowledged that her family could keep her safe, and it would not be something he would forget quickly.

After Illario hung up the phone and moved to Lilya's side, pulling her closer into him and asking if she was okay, Viago coughed into his hand and stood, glossing over the need to update Carina and Harding of the current situation and that Ilene should reach out to them tomorrow to review and organise all security teams efficiently. Something which Lilya was not able to ignore easily.  "H-Harding? Lace Harding? Ilene's friend? That one? Zalan's girlfriend? What has this got to do with her?" Lilya asked, extricating herself from her boyfriend's loose hold.  Viago looked up from his phone and looked her dead in the eye, never flinching under her stare. "What? Oh, I used to have her following you."

"You what?!" 

"We need to know if there was anything out of the ordinary before she stopped—"

"When the hell was this!?"

"About the time when the two of you started dating."

"Maker help me! Viago!" she cried out, not believing her ears. She had thought she was free from his surveillance, and he had just tricked her all along. "And Carina? That lovely girl in your IT department? She's a part of this?"

"She's a part of my cybersecurity team. She's been helping me with things for the company and assisting Harding, of course."

Lilya cursed, crossing her arms, unable to believe what she was hearing. "Has everyone been something else I've just not been made aware of?"

"Now there's no need to be dramatic," Viago began, only to be silently hushed by one of Teia's hands on his arm.  "And you?" Lilya insisted. "What are you, Bug? What have you been all this time?"

Ilene's eyebrows rose as she touched her hand to her chest. "Me? Little ol' me? It seems it is now the time to confess that I am your father."

"Bug!"

"Would you believe that I haven't been anything or doing anything? For once, I am getting caught up at the same time as you. The world is truly ending, Princess."

Lilya sat back down on her seat, still holding onto Illario's hand like an anchor, the only thing keeping her from drifting away with all the new information and bombshells she was swimming in. "I just… I just can't believe I've been watched all this time."

Her brother sat back down and watched his phone to check for any messages from his now not-so-secret team. "And look, the minute I stopped… you got in trouble."

A new wave of heat flooded her veins, this time prickling and potent and made her feel she could choke out a grown man with her pinkies if she felt so inclined. And oh, how in that moment she did…

A loud clap broke the tension, the small party looking back up to their hostess, still beaming and looking at them all with a twinkle in her eye.

"Another coffee for everyone then? It seems it will be a long night, and we have much to discuss."

"Don't sound so excited about this, Teia."

"And why not, Vi? It's like a slumber party with intrigue and danger."

"More emphasis on the danger, Teia," Lilya deadpanned, gawking at her friend, perturbed.

"So that's a no to coffee? Whiskey then? Whiskey it is."

"It's on my desk, right where you left it," Illario picked up the papers in front of him, neatly bound along one edge and gave them one last look. Jacobus was standing in front of his desk with an outreached hand when he lifted his gaze again. "And I've reviewed all the sections you highlighted. Was there anything you wanted to add?"

"You saw the projections for the valuation?" Jacobus blinked at him, clearly surprised. "I had them run them with several different models more than we included."

"Was the result different?"

"If anything, they predicted a much larger profit margin for the third quarter," Jacobus shrugged. "I picked the most conservative one."

"My grandmother is going to hate this so much," Illario flashed Jacobus a grin he knew held extra teeth. "I want to have all of the contracts lined up to sign right after we end the call. I've been waiting a year for this and don't want even one day longer."

"Of course—"

"After you approve your own raise and title change," Illario waved a hand to cut off whatever objection Jacobus was starting to form. "Your work might not change a lot, but the people you're talking to need to understand you have authority to make decisions, not pick up my dry cleaning."

"That's my job," Illario looked up in surprise as Gladius appeared in the doorway, taking up most of the frame, and holding a rather large garment bag. "Jacobus said you had some important thing tonight, so I stopped by on my way to go shopping with Gemma."

"Shopping? We are still on for dinner, yes?" Illario crossed the room as Jacobus took the bag and left, closing the office door behind him with a wave. "I know it will be late, but it won't be any fun to celebrate by myself."

"Oh, yeah," Gladius threw his arms around his waist and pulled him close with a grin. "We just have to go get some stuff. Gemma and Juan put together a whole list, and are making sure we don't get anything too stupid on Viago's credit card."

"Alright now I have to know, why is Viago fronting you all money for shopping? It isn't out of the goodness of his heart, and it probably isn't a tax write-off."

"It might be, it's stuff for the crew," Gladius shrugged, looking a little bewildered. "Remember how the club didn't burn down?"

"Yes, I distinctly remember it not burning down," Illario narrowed his eyes, a suspicion forming in his gut that he couldn't quite put his finger on. "Replacement costumes? More of that glitter gel? Packs of those glow bracelets for that black-light act?"

"Something like that," Gladius laughed and gave him a squeeze, pulling him in for a quick kiss. "I'll see you tonight once your thing is done. I know you'll do awesome at your mystery secret business meeting, whatever it is."

"Thanks," Illario gave his shoulder a squeeze as Gladius turned to leave, feeling lightly bemused. Having anyone in his life showing complete confidence in him was still novel enough experience that he always felt at a loss for how to react. He threw an awkward wave at the broad back disappearing out into the office and shook his head.

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Gladius rarely found himself of two minds about anything.

A lot of people who didn't know him well might argue that he didn't have enough thoughts to have them conflict, but that wasn't the exact truth. He knew he was pretty simple about some things, but the decisions were usually easy because he always stuck by his friends and family, even when they fought. Maybe especially then. But tonight, as he paced the sleek open lobby of the Illario's apartment building, he really couldn't decide what to do.

He wanted to go on tour with his friends. It was going to be fun, it kept them all in work, and they'd get to meet new people and find old friends. Get to meet his friends family and see where they grew up. Looking out over the water, he could just imagine them all on the beach in Rivain, having the time of their lives.

He wanted to stay. Riley didn't want to go, and if he wasn't going to be there, it would be even harder. If they both went, there would be someone who understood it wasn't easy to leave their partner behind.

"You are looking a little too like your namesake, tigre," Illario's voice cut through his internal debate, and he turned to find the man smiling behind him in an impeccably tailored suit. His hands were in his pockets as he leaned with a shoulder against the wall, looking at ease with himself and the world. "Did you have to wait long?"

"No, just a bit," doubts scattered as Gladius returned the smile, standing still and forcing his own shoulders to relax. The knot in his middle was still there, but it didn't seem to matter much when Illario looked so pleased. "I was just thinking about something."

"Good, because I was, in fact, very good at my 'mystery secret business,' as you called it," Illario stepped forward with a fluid motion and put his hand at Gladius's back to usher him out the door to a waiting car.

"So what was it?" Gladius asked as they got in, trying to make sure he didn't completely wrinkle his suit jacket. It had been obvious that it had something to do with his family but also his company, but he also hadn't wanted to ask before in case that made Illario more nervous. Like the news about the tour, it wasn't the right time.

"Oh? Didn't I say?" Illario laughed lightly. "I just paid down all of the starting capital I borrowed to start my business. Caterina wasn't much pleased, she had expected me to need an extension, which would give her an opportunity to take part of it for her own. Instead, I cut her and her money men out entirely."

"So, you paid of the loan? Why would she be mad?" Gladius tried to puzzle through the line of thought, but just like when his sister started talking about stocks, it really didn't make that much sense to him outside how happy Illario looked at the result.

"Caterina hates losing, and she hates being wrong even more," Illario shook his head a bit and narrowed his eyes. "She assumed I would fail, and that's what she planned for. I used my own salary from work as seed money, and only the profits to pay it back, so she couldn't even try to leverage the rules around my trust."

"Your own grandmother bet you'd fail?" Gladius blinked at Illario who gave him a wry smile, the streaming lights of the city painting moving shadows across his face. Sharp angles and crisp lines softened as their eyes met. "Why? You're really good at what you do."

Illario looked at him for a moment, eyes unreadable in the moving light, suddenly reaching forward to take Gladius's tie in his hand, drawing it slowly out from his jacket while he kept eye contact. Leaning in, Illario pulled him forward suddenly into a fierce kiss. Illario's other hand hit the button to raise the divider between the front and back of the car, then moved to the back of his neck to draw him even closer. Gladius started to bring his arm up around Illario's waist, but his hand got stuck in the seat belt and he flailed for a moment before leaning back as they both laughed.

"I guess that part of the celebration can wait until we get back," Illario gave him another soft kiss as he tucked his tie back into his jacket. This time Gladius was able to get his hand free and laced his fingers in between Illario's own when he put his hand back down on the seat between them.

"Where are we going?" Gladius asked, feeling flush and happy. Whatever he was going to do didn't need to be decided tonight, not when Illario's own good news was so fresh. Riley had the right idea. They both needed a little time to think about what they really wanted to do.

"Noa's holding a table for us at Gemini," Illario gave his hand a squeeze as he sat back into his seat, eyes flashing in the flickering light.

"She promised that she would make sure that she would have plenty of the croquetas de jamón left for you as long as you stopped calling them 'ham balls' when ordering. Her wait staff is unruly enough already without you rage-baiting them about tapas."

Next: Will Gladius tell Illario about the upcoming tour before he finds out on his own? No, he won't. So that will be exciting for them both.

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Tags are always no pressure, check this fun thing out, with no expectation of response ❤️

@serensama, @woundedsoul12, @davrinsleftpectoral, @blackwall-my-tiny-husband,  @serialsforbellara,  @notyourmamasdeerbat,  @strugglinggranola,  @aetherflowers,  @necromanticsoul,  @jukkaricity,  @genjyoandgojyoandhakkai,  @elishnord,  @pixiedurango, @aiyestel,  @tkwritesdumbassassins,  @sandcastlekings,  @sorcerousadventurer,  @the-font-bandit, @tarasmom, @talkmagically, @potatofantiger, @redheadsramblings, @viagosbrother, @chaosherald, @iicaru2, @handsignals, @wickedadaar, @kogarashi-art, @vishantikaffar, @mushrooms-x-moss, @nyx-de-riva, @redaresss

"Mhmm. I can tell," he gave them a soft, bright smile. "It's something I've noticed about you before. I love seeing you like this."

"It's never come up before, but everyone's happy and I'm happy they're happy. I missed it."

Jericho hugged them to him with a light squeeze and smiled. "Are you sure nothing else needs your attention? I'm okay, if you have party host things to take care of."

"Nah, I was thinking of getting fried with Mina but that's it. Otherwise, I think they got it," they said softly as they leaned on Jericho's chest. "There's food. Booze. An actual working sink. What's the worst that can happen? They'll fall on each other in a pile."

"That might be pretty funny to see," he laughed as he wrapped both arms around them. "I'll confess, I've always felt a little… out of place. At things like this. D&D nights are one thing… but I feel a little out of my element at most parties."

"Well, the only real difference between this and D&D night is that instead of D&D is you had to watch Gemma and I give a presentation on condo renovation." There was a deep sigh, "And butts."

"That was certainly a unique party experience," he chuckled. "I'm okay though, I just know I'm not really the most exciting person at these things."

"You're the most interesting person to me."

"Am I?" Jericho blushed and stole a kiss before nuzzling his face in their hair. "Thank you."

They kissed the back of his hand. "Of course. I'm happy right now, like this."

"Me too," he whispered. "I love you."

Castelin gets to dress like I do at the beach. Racer-back tank (yes, it's Warden-themed, though mine IRL is just striped) and board shorts, because then that's less skin you have to slather with sunblock, and then a hat to keep the sun off her face and and a flowy cover-up for a touch of girliness. Practical sandals that won't fall off, though. She probably burns easier than I do, though.

Hawke, meanwhile, went the bikini route, but with a practical sport style rather than something meant more for fashion. While I do wear a big hat like Cas does for just existing on the beach, a visor like Hawke has is what I wear when out on the water (more secure, dries easier, probably won't fall apart if it gets wet). In Hawke's case, it's mostly for keeping the sun out of her eyes while she ropes the other ladies into beach volleyball. (Not pictured: shorts and an oversized beach shirt for her cover-up.)

Tyria's sense of beach style trends more toward the fashionable but not too revealing type, so she's got a one-piece swimsuit and a sarong. Barefoot sandals because Dalish, other coordinating jewelry and a big flower for her hair, sunglasses because sometimes it's just too bright. Cullen's coin as a necklace.

Saadrah, of all people, has the smallest swimsuit because she likes showing off her wing tattoos. Her cover-up is a lace wrap for the same reason, which she ties around her hips when she has to hit the shops, and she adds some beachy jewelry to coordinate. She prefers basic flip-flops, easy to kick off as needed, and because she's my knife nut, she gets a diving knife strapped to one calf.

@handsignals, @himluv, @sorcerousadventurer, @dags-over-caravans, @chaosherald, @serialsforbellara, @necromanticsoul, @sandcastlekings, @redheadsramblings, @sapphireangelbunny, @genjyoandgojyoandhakkai, @wolfsong-the-bloody-beast, @hedwigoprah, @redaresss, @mushrooms-x-moss, @grand-crow, @davrinsleftpectoral, @blackwall-my-tiny-husband, @pixiedurango, @jukkaricity, @ladyofcrowsandcoffee, @lycheecatee, @the-archons-moustache, @rooks-dagger, @maagisterpavus, @dell-amor-te, @hibiscus-wo-tabeta, @reaver-of-kirkwall, @woundedsoul12, @shadrachanki, @jellyeliart

"You remember Riley, right? The Qunari boy Varric was helping out," Lea, her sister, was currently in the kitchen, doing dishes, phone propped up on the counter, so they could video chat.

"The troublemaker?" of course, Ophelia remembered. She didn’t comment on the fact that Lea was as invested in his life as her brother-in-law.

"They're all troublemakers," Lea snickered. "Anyway, he's in Treviso, working as a stripper. The club didn't burn down, water damage, but the owner is loaded, has good lawyers, and is paying cash."

"Wait, wait, slow down," Ophelia sat straight. The cogs in her head started turning. "Don't tell me the owner's name is de Riva."

Lea stopped scrubbing the pan. "Please don't tell me Riley got mixed with some bad crowd."

"No, no, no, it's good, he's fine," Ophelia got up and went out to the patio, heading towards the large shed in the back of her garden. "De Rivas are… Fine. Ish. Quite decent for people with money, you know. I cross paths with their lawyer, Giovanna, from time to time, a nice girl with a heart in a good place. You have some actual photo of this Riley of yours?"

"Yeah, why?" Lea knew better than to argue with her little sister: once Phi was in motion, there was no stopping her. She ditched the pan, wiped her hands on the towel, and headed towards her living room.

"This might be a long shot, but if it isn't, it's the craziest of coincidences," Ophelia reached the shed and opened the door. "Thom, darling, you have a minute? Lea's calling. Anyway, remember I told you about Thom's coworker, Lydia?"

"The one who graduated with Sera? I thought you were no longer in touch, some toxic husband or so?" Lea sat on the couch and riffled through the box with photographs. She fished one from a year or two ago, when Riley was visiting. "I've got the photo."

"I'm here, love," Lea heard her brother-in-law's low voice. The picture shook for a while, and then she saw both Thom's and Phi's faces. "Hi Lea, how is my favourite sister-in-law doing?"

"She's fine," Ophelia was getting impatient. "Lea, show him the pic. Is that the guy Lydia is dating now?"

Thom adjusted his glasses and took a look. "Yeah, that's the lad. You know him?"

"He's one of the stray kids Varric keeps bringing home—"

"Hey, hey, I haven't brought anybody home in years," Varric's head appeared next to Lea's, a man giving her a loud, wet kiss on the cheek. "What are you conspiring about, and why are you mixing Riley into it?"

"It seems that your Riley is the same Riley our friend is dating," Ophelia grinned.

"Wait, so his Lydia is the same Lydia that works with Thom and Sera?" Varric laughed. "Maker's Balls, if I wrote this down no one would believe it."

Varric's last line gave me grieve, thank you Beasty for figuring it out for me!

He eyed the pipe for a moment with mild apprehension before taking it from Juan and giving it a try. Eyes slightly watery, he quickly handed it back, trying not to cough. "Sorry, been a while," he mumbled.

They chuckled and kissed him under his jaw, taking the pipe back. "I appreciate you joining us. It's very sweet of you."

He smiled at Juan gratefully. "Just happy to hang out here with you. Nice to have a break from the chaos inside."

"So what's going on?"

"Riley's got his head up his ass again," Juan growled then shook their head, taking a long drag from the pipe before handing it back to Mina.

Jericho smirked a bit at Juan before turning to explain to Mina. "Riley says he's not going on the tour."

"Riley can be a self-centered dick, but he's not a traitor. There's no way he'll leave us out to dry on this. Star or not, he won't," Juan insisted, slowly to convince themself.

"True, but it won't be easy to convince him to leave if Lydia's not going. I get it, I mean… if it was us…" he shrugged and let the thought trail off.

"I know. And I like Lydia. But if it was us… Would you understand? I think you would. And our texting game would be incredible."

"I would," Jericho nodded, "I'd understand, but I couldn't pretend it wouldn't be hard." He gave them a small grin. "Though you're right, the texts would be incredible."

"Yeah, they would. Would you ask me to stay?"

"Yes," he muttered, blushing and looking down at his feet. "Though I'd get it, I wouldn't be mad, if you couldn't."

"I… Oh." They frowned a bit and sank against the wall. "I'd have to go. I'm sorry."

Jericho reached over to take Juan's hand and squeezed it. "I know, but you don't have to apologize. Because I'm going with you," he reminded them with a grin.

"I came up with so many stupid back up jobs for you while we were brainstorming the tour."

With a soft chuckle, he leaned over and kissed Juan's cheek. "I'm glad you did."

They curled up next to him, grinning to themself. "You like the elfroot? I don't do it often."

"Mmm… it might not be my thing," he laughed. "But I'm good, as long as you're having fun."

"I'm feeling better. Everything else… I'll deal with it one way or another."

"I'm glad this helped," Jericho put an arm around them and smiled, pressing a kiss to their forehead. "We can stay out here as long as you need. No pressure to go back in there."

They snickered. "I won't be standing for a little bit. I'd like it if you hung out with me out here."