Guarded Love (COMPLETED)

Roommates

Chamberlain Karelle, as Reiss later learned was her official title, whipped her so fast through sections of the palace there was no way the awestruck elf had a moment to catch what anything was. They paused at the stables, Karelle nodding once over at the kennels nestled in the back and a litter of pups yipping for attention. Reiss shook off her wandering fingers aching to pat soft heads and maybe sneak one out in her coat. She was here on business, a unimaginable one, but it was business. After that it was past the official royal guard training grounds where Karelle sized up the elf without tugging out a single measuring stick. She didn't even work her hands around to try and surmise Reiss' less than human proportions, only nodded once, and said that this was the best armor they had for now but something could be taken in.

It was the fanciest metal she'd ever been allowed to touch. During the Inquisition years, unless you were on the front lines or assumed to be, you made due with their boiled leathers and scraps of splint mail dug out of the back of Orlais' armories. And even then, that was ten times better than what they suffered in as a Denerim guard. "Is this actual gold?" Reiss stuttered from the lines of shining yellow dipping down the breastplate and forming the Ferelden shield front and center.

Karelle shook it off, unimpressed with the splendor as she must see it every day. "It should suffice for now..." the chamberlain began, but Reiss waved it off. She'd been padding human armor to fit her ever since picking up a sword. This was no problem.

After returning the armor to a stand marked with her name, as well as selecting a few swords and a bow should something strange occur, Karelle looked up at the other royal guards shuffling inside. "It must be nearing on midnight if they are changing shifts. Perhaps it would be in our best interest if I show you where you will be sleeping."

"Ah," Reiss nodded. She began the day assuming she'd stand all afternoon in the baking sun waiting for nobles to shuffle out, and was going to end it being given a bed in the royal palace. Maker's breath, this had to be some trick. Lunet would come rounding the corner and laugh herself silly at the look on Reiss' shocked face.

Unaware of her turmoil, Karelle led her through a back path. All the other hallways bore sconces of gilded metal but these were brushed steel, with no paintings or rugs to spruce it up. Even the stone looked cheaper as if they barely hewed it from the earth before slapping it up. A servant's entrance if she ever saw one. Catching her thoughts, Karelle said over her shoulder, "We often employ some of the older passages to get through the castle undisturbed."

"Who would disturb you?" the woman trained as a solider then a guard, aka killer of all fun, asked.

"Any and all who think you can get them a moment of the King's time. I rather suspect as people come to know your face you shall find yourself swamped with requests." Karelle paused in the narrow staircase and turned back to face her, "Do try to use your best judgment with them. We don't want any incidents occurring."

"No, no, of course not," Reiss nodded, fully lost. What did she mean by incidents? Did they think she was going to throw the doors open and invite in all the elves of the kingdom for one big party?

"Ah, here it is," Karelle slid out of the staircase to heave open a plain, unassuming door which revealed the most decadent hallway Reiss had ever seen. Granted, the closest she came to Orlesian splendor involved the frozen, half rotted town of Sahrnia so perhaps they did it better. Instead of rich crimson and gold as bedecked most of Ferelden's fancier decor, it was all a cobalt blue embedded into silver finishings giving the hall a crisp and more modern feel. Reiss reached a finger out to glance against the silver sconce, expecting it to be freezing to the touch. That was what the hall was -- like stepping inside a beautiful but terrifying glacier.