#duciissa

Etienne had accepted the invitation, yet he had not been aware his arrival was not at, what some would call, an appropriate time. The servant had lead him to her chambers and allowed him entry and he kept his face neutral as he noticed her in the bath. He kept his eyes on her face, not wavering to the breasts lain bare for those to see.

“A generous offer, but we have not even gone out to a formal dinner,” he jested lightly, moving to take a seat. He gave her a smirk, gray eyes glimmering a bit in the low light. “Maybe if I had been forewarned, I may be more agreeable to a bath with you.”

He gave a warm chuckle, settling himself comfortably in his seat and watching her, knowing precisely how dangerous she was even now. Yet he could be just as much, too.

who said anything about doing it in public

Some high point Orlesian was staying in a manor just outside of Kirkwall. A mistake, as far as Emris was concerned. For them, anyway. His connections had informed him the lady was one of well-to-do stature, with some documents which could prove useful and valuable. And so he had scouted out the area, memorized the guard rotation (apparently she was staying at a relative’s manor. Most Orlesian nobility was related to half of Thedas nobles, Emris figured), and had gotten information from some of the servants on which area the real prize would be in.

And so when he was prepared and night fell, he made his move. The wall was easy enough for a lone Kirkwall native to scale, slipping in between guards and moving like a shadow in the keep. He kept his dark cloak around him, staying just out of sight. The lady would not be in her quarters quite yet, so he could easily get in and get what he wanted.

A guard passed by as he kept himself hidden in the ceiling frame, dropping down as soon as it was clear. He made quick work of the lock, slowly opening the door and checking before moving to where he’d been told the documents would be. A few jewels and gold coins would create a brief distraction, especially after locking the once secured drawer back.

SENTENCE MEME ⟶ UNCHARTED / AMONG THIEVES

“Your Grace, I thought you’d never ask.”

Some people are so unpleasant that even individuals as different as they could agree on what must be done. Hawke kept his expression carefully locked into something just on the amused side of neutral. Perhaps he’d have an easier time of wading through this Game if he had chosen a mask that covered more of his face. The unpleasant person in question had already pretended to take Hawke for a servant from the simplicity of the design, but Hawke wasn’t about to forsake being able to breathe to please a room full of strangers. Besides, he always wore a mask of a different kind. 

willy

The move was a surprise, but he supposed he’d seen some Orlesians greet each other in some manner akin to that. But he knew better than to trust what the duchess offered at face value. Instead, he kept his features composed with a polite, warm smile, clever amber eyes examining her features.