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Renaldi was fishing a healing potion out of a pocket with one hand, the other pressing down on her injury, wholly ignorant to Sergio’s last execution until he roughly pushed by her. She nearly dropped her potion in surprise, but saved it before it could break on the stone. Drinking it in one gulp (she’d always hated the taste) and storing the empty vial to be used again, she hardly let her skin knit back together before moving herself between Sergio and his mother.

Yes, she was upset with the woman for this betrayal and the fact she’d sold her child, but she would be no good to get answers out of if she was a frightened mess. Enough time saving people taught Renaldi that. Her short stature and slightness worked in her advantage as she wormed her way between mother and son, her hand and staff gently pushing Sergio away. “Take a step back, di Vasco. You’re too on edge.” Her tone was colder than usual, her eyes hard and authoritative as she looked up at him. It was her way of telling him to fuck off for a minute without using so many words, a tactic she’d picked up from somewhere. Maybe Cassandra? Either way, her use of his last name (was it really that or something else?) should have been enough to tell him she was not okay with his actions.

Turning to the woman, she gave her a small smile. “I’m Renaldi. You didn’t get hurt, did you?” She glanced back over her shoulder at Sergio for a moment. “Sorry about him… he’s a little testy today, to put it lightly.”

“On edge?” There was disbelief in his voice as she spoke. On edge? Did she not understand what had transpired? Did she not realize what had just happened? He stalked just behind her, needing to walk, needing to work off that energy which was building in a slow, burning rage in his gut.

“I-I am fine,” she said, watching Sergio. “Durante-”

“Don’t!” Sergio snapped, turning to look at her. “That is not my name. It stopped being my name when you sold me to the Crows!” He shook his head, looking away and swallowing a different emotion than anger. “And you did it again, did you not?!”

“Durante, they were going to kill your siblings!”

“Do not lie to me,” Sergio seethed. “How much did they pay you?”

“I wanted you to run-”

“How much?!” His hand twitched at his blade, part of him wanting to deal with this here and now.

She was biting her tongue so much at the moment. Renaldi did hate it when people assumed something of her. She was not oblivious to her looks or her power, but she didn’t care about them. That wasn’t what mattered about her, and she would never want people to think of her in respect to her beauty or ability to throw a man five hundred yards without touching them. She wanted people to remember her for her intelligence or charity. Her smaller deeds, not the obvious one, were more important to her. They defined her as a person, and she didn’t want her main quality to be ‘hero’ in the chronicles of history.

She had begun drying out her long hair with another towel, looking at Sergio and Emilia through a mirror. Admiring her little family, as it were. “I give myself plenty of credit, thank you. But I know I used to be a pushover of a girl, scared out of her mind of silverite armor… and too charming men who could be hiding blades behind their smiles.“

Renaldi smirked a bit, knowing that would get a reaction out of him. It was honesty, too, for a pretender to some sort of divinity would definitely be targeted as she had been by the Crows and some employer of theirs. And at the beginning she had been scared of him, even as she had him join the Inquisition.

“Either way, I grew out of it; and with kindness, humility, and intelligence I have led. I intend to teach my daughter the same qualities, no matter how pretty she becomes or how powerful her magical abilities are. If she even inherits any.“

Sergio kept his gaze on Emilia, cooing at her and saying soft words in Antivan to her. Everything was gentle, not even hinting at the life he had had. Hard and pushing his way through, staying alive or ending up dead, seducing to gain access to the mark. No, here was a man who was no longer a weapon or a tool, but just a mere man with a child in his arms he adored.

He looked back at her, though, dark eyes glimmering.

“If I recall, you said, mm, what was it,” he started, “almost ruined the mood when I called you beautiful once, no? Do you not recall that?” He walked over to her, steadying Emilia in one arm and running his fingers along her jaw. “I am glad you have recognized yourself now, though. It is a good look.” 

He gave her a devilish smirk at her statement.

“And I am sure you are thanking Andraste’s blazing bosom you decided not to be scared of the charming man with smiles and dark eyes...”

Sergio considered what she said. She had lead that way and he did hope Emilia learned to emulate that. Those were important, not the power or the looks.

⨳ — BONES; I | ACCEPTING

⨳ — BONES; I | ACCEPTING

By the Maker, this would be easier had they both been wearing robes as she used to in the Circle. Leon had always made the joke that the fashion choice was made by desperate-for-a-shag mages for easy access, she had always rolled her eyes at that. But at that moment, she was wishing she had at least opted for them instead of the trousers and shirt she’d decided on picking back up off her floor for her visit to Dagna.

Renaldi tossed his shirt to places unknown somewhere in her room, eyes wandering over his exposed torso. The scars made her chest ache but the fact the more clothes he took off, the more she wanted them to… well, keep going as they were. It was shallow of her, yes, but she didn’t care at the moment.

“And how exactly do you want me? Hmm?“ She teases, her fingers gently moving up his back and around his shoulder and neck. Her touches were as light as a spirit, and the hunger in her eyes was darkening her look as she gazed up at him. “I’m dying to know.“

He could feel the desperation in her touches, the longing she held for closer contact which he shared. He did not care for the marks which marred his skin; they were proof he survived. Not things to be ashamed of. He allowed her to touch and caress him as she liked, he lips moving down along her neck and hands working at her clothing.

“I can list quite a few ways I want you,” he murmured with a deep, heated tone against her ear. “We can start on the traditional back...Sometime we should try it on your desk too...You straddling me in the chair...There’s a wide variety of options to go with, you see. If you put your mind to it...”

Send “💋” to kiss my muse out of nowhere. | ACCEPTING

Sergio welcomed the warmth of her lips against his own, even if it took him by surprise. He’d known she was there, in the corridor. And he’d even reacted as she moved. Training, after all, kicked in. So he easily caught her about her waist as she pulled him down for a heated kiss. He gladly returned it, letting it linger as they were forced to pull apart due to the sound of footsteps nearly.