A Hawke and his Princess Ch. 01-05

"So young Hawke, everyone around here tells me you live with your family on the outskirts of town. We know you moved here around eight years ago, that you all are hardworking, honest and keep a large successful farm. Where did you live before moving here and what brought you here?"

Hawke glanced around the table watching everyone. Not sure how to proceed without giving away any of his family's secrets, he proceeded to respond cautiously.

"My father was Malcolm Hawke, a farmer for as long as I can remember, my mother is Leandra Amell Hawke. I have a younger brother and sister who are twins. We've been living in Lothering for a while and before then we moved around working for whoever needed help until my father had saved enough money to buy his own farm and land, and so we settled here. As far as what my plans are for the future I hope that maybe I'll eventually find a wife and settle down." Hawke quickly became quiet when he mentioned his future and a wife, 'where did that come from,' he thought to himself. He looked over at Elayne, and he had an image of her standing by his side in his future, his arms around her. Trying to ignore what that image stirred in him, he continued.

Bryce noticed the look Hawke had given Elayne as he mentioned the word wife and once again he couldn't help the amusement surfacing along with the caution.

Hawke knew that there were holes, but he couldn't say anything more without jeopardizing himself and his family. Bryce seemed content for now with Hawke's answers, then Danal came over with a couple of waitresses were they served the morning meal. Everyone at the table proceeded to eat and make small talk. During the meal Hawke noticed that Eleanor kept glancing at him as if she knew something that Hawke hadn't completely revealed. After everyone was done and the table cleared away Eleanor finally spoke, directing her gaze squarely on Hawke.

"Young master Hawke, if you don't mind my asking, did you say your mom was Lady Leandra Amell and does she have any family in Kirkwall?" Hawke looked at her trying not to look shocked or worried if he had made a mistake on mentioning his mothers full name.

But he told her the truth. "Yes ma'am, my mother is Leandra Amell, and she does have family in Kirkwall. But she's never said anything more about them except to say they had a terrible falling out, and we've never seen anyone on that side of the family."

Eleanor seemed pleased with Hawke's answer and mentioned to Hawke that at one time Leandra and her had been good friends when they were younger. But had lost contact with each other after Leandra had left Kirkwall. She was glad to hear that her old friend was doing good.

Hawke thanked her, thanked the whole family for breakfast and the company. As he got up from the table he looked at Elayne, took her hand and bowed and lightly kissed it before thanking her for her company. The instant his lips touched her hand, not only did she feel a spark, but she was once again blushing from head to toe.

Needing to clear his mind and get rid of some pent-up frustration, he headed upstairs to his room and strapped on his swords to his back. He wasn't quit sure why he put the swords on, they weren't your everyday blades, and he had to be careful with how he used them. They were actually special blades that were made specifically for him by his old blades master when Hawke had mastered his training. One of Hawke's secrets was that he was a battle mage with some arcane warrior training. His father sometime during his travels, had come across Caleb who was an Elven warrior before he became an Elder, they had worked together off and on throughout the years and had become very good friends. Even though Hawke was a mage, he had also become interested in swordsmanship when Malcolm had hired a few ex guards to train Carver. And to everyone's surprise Hawke had shown extreme proficiency with the blade. So after many teachers and Hawke mastering all his training, Malcolm had asked Caleb to train Hawke not only in magic but also with swords. At first Caleb was reluctant to train someone not of elven blood their secrets but after seeing how proficient Hawke was with the sword Caleb finally relented. A mage with the ability to use a sword was unusual because blades were beyond them since they could use magic. But with Hawke being eager to learn both mage skills and swordsmanship, Caleb decided to train him. But only if Hawke swore to never reveal how he had learned this secret, in fact it would be best if he kept the ability a secret if he could.

When he went back down to the common room everyone had left except for Elayne and Bryce. Both arched their brows at the swords on his back, Bryce started to stand and looked like he was going to say something but seeing the look on Hawke's face he decided against it. Bryce had seen that look on men's faces many times, one of frustration, determination. He was warring with something inside him and by the quick glance Hawke gave to Elayne as he passed by her told volumes of what that was. Bryce wasn't sure how he felt about this or if he should do anything to discourage the young man. But he did feel that if Hawke was determined enough no amount of dissuading would stop him. For the moment he decided to let it go, who knows how this could turn out but if Bryce felt that young Hawke was putting his daughter in danger then no one would stop him from protecting her, not even Hawke.

Hawke went to the stables to check on his horse Midnight, who had been gifted to him. A secret even his family had no idea about. A few years back he had gone to Denerim for some time to himself, unbeknownst to him, they were having a festival with all kinds of competitions. One of these was a sword contest, Hawke had decided to partake in this contest to see how good he really was. Keeping his magic at bay he had surprisingly won and one of the prizes was Midnight who had been a colt at the time. When Hawke went back home with Midnight all he told his family was that he helped some people out for a while, and they gave him the horse as payment. Nothing more was ever said about Midnight.

Deciding that a ride would do both of them some good Hawke got on his horse and rode out of town for some exercise. There was a path that he knew of that went down to a place that he enjoyed, but first he needed to let Midnight run off some of his energy from being in a cramped stall. Letting Midnight know that he was free with a pat, he took off at a run, letting Hawke enjoy the wind in his face. This was what he really enjoyed, no shackles, no restraint, no responsibility, just pure freedom. Loved riding Midnight bareback, seemed the horse enjoyed the same as him. No saddle, no reins, both horse and master enjoying the crisp fall air, freedom to just be themselves. After letting Midnight run some of his friskiness out Hawke let him know that it was time to slow down with a little pat from his right hand down a path that led to a small secluded lake surrounded by trees.

Hawke sat there by the waters edge thinking about what had transpired in the last day, not quit understanding everything that was going on. He felt like he was in a battle with himself and Elayne was in the middle of it. There was something about her that got his insides twisted, feelings he had never felt before. When he was around her, it felt like they had always known each other all their lives, like they were meant for each other, there was a pull between them. He wasn't sure what to think about this, it was all new to him. But he didn't know if he could allow himself to feel, want another person, he was after all a mage, not part of the Circle, he was considered an apostate by the Chantry.

His father had raised them to not be afraid of magic, magic was not evil, it was a tool. It was the person behind the magic that determined how it was to be used. As far as Malcolm had been concerned magic was meant to help those in need, not for personal gain. Magic is a blessing of the Maker, Hawke thought. Mages can do great or terrible things. He knew that the power can be both a blessing and a curse, not in the bearing of it, but in the use. Magic didn't scare him as it did his sister. Magic is neither evil nor good; it simply exists. It is up to the mind of man how to put it to use. He didn't believe that all mages should be condemned to a life of being locked away just because they were born to magic, just because of other peoples fears, bad decisions, abusing the power that was gifted to them, it didn't mean that all magic users were the same. He needed to somehow find out the Cousland's view of mages and the Circle.

Frustrated and needing to clear his mind he grabbed his blades and started working his sword forms. During his talk with the Cousland's he found out that they would be staying there for the week then heading to Redcliffe for some business, so he wasn't quite ready to head back yet. As far as Elayne was concerned he still didn't know how he was going to handle it or if he should. There was obviously feelings for her, more than casual, but could he allow himself to pursue those feelings. Even after his workout he was still frustrated as he headed back to town.

After putting Midnight back into his stall, brushing him down, making sure he had fresh water and grain and giving him his treat, he started heading back to the Inn, when he heard the sound of swords. He headed to where the noise was and saw the Cousland soldiers sparring. And to his surprise he saw that one of the people sparring was Elayne, dressed in britches. He stood there watching, seeing the way she went through each move. He definitely had to say, seeing a woman, this particular woman going through sword forms was sexy and had his blood boiling. It was too much, he groaned and turned to walk away when he heard his name called.

He looked over and saw Fergus standing there waving him over, not wanting to be rude he walked over trying to avoid watching Elayne. After he shook Fergus's hand, Fergus asked him if he could use the blades on his back. When he said he could hold his own, Fergus asked him if he wanted to spar. Hawke thought why not, maybe he could work off some of his frustration, he asked Fergus if he had a coup!e of spare blades. Looking at Hawke with curiosity Fergus handed him two blades.

He cleared his mind and got into position. Fergus came at him, seeing what Hawke knew. At first, it was just casual, to test each other than the sparing became more intense, fierce. A crowd was building around them as the soldiers watched the intensity of the practice session. Finally, Hawke fainted with a thrust by distracting Carver while using a leg sweep that took Fergus out and Fergus found himself flat on his back with a blade at his throat.

Elayne stood there watching Fergus and this strange young man who had stirred something inside her. Somewhere during the sparing match Hawke had taken off his shirt, and she couldn't help but ogle him as his hard corded body flowed when he moved from one stance to the next. He was so masculine, so powerfully built, she felt heat rush through her watching him. She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his as his gaze penetrated her. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched his eyes run up and down her, then came back up to hers again, and he had the same look she had seen earlier, possessiveness, warmth and tenderness directed at her. She saw something else that made her knees weak, a molten heat ran through her body, she stifled a whimper and felt a wetness between her legs.

Unable to handle the feelings coursing through her, she walked back to the Inn and to her room. What was it about him that had her so riled up, why did she feel a pull towards him? Why did her body respond the way it did when he looked at her? She knew she was inexperienced when it came to the opposite sex but no one had ever made her feel the way he was making her feel. She was experiencing things, feelings she had never felt before, feelings that made her become aware of her body and it both scared and excited her.

Hawke helped Fergus up and Fergus grinned at him. "I'm impressed young master Hawke, I see you do know how to use those swords." he said as he clapped Hawke on his shoulder. Hawke merely shrugged as he walked over and dumped water over himself, clearing away the sweat and grim from the practice.

Fergus grinned to himself as he saw the young man watch his sister walk away. Like the rest his family, they were all aware that something might be stirring between Hawke and Elayne. For the first time that he could remember his sister was actually showing an interest in a man, a young man who happened to be one Arik Hawke.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Elayne's first kiss

There was an edge in Hawke tonight. A distinct warning in the very way he held her. His body was as hard as steel, his skin hot. There was raw possession in the depths of his eyes, in the enormous strength of his arms. As soon as Elayne felt the heat of his chest through his thin silk shirt where her cheek brushed his body, her heart gave a crazy lurch, and she stiffened and tried to hold herself from him. He simply pulled her closer, so close she felt the warmth of his breath against her temple, felt the hard thrust of his arousal against her. She could feel the urgency of his body's demand of hers. His fingers curled around her wrist, held her hand against his chest.

"Stay calm little one," his voice was so husky her entire body trembled with need. He was too potent up close like this. He was wild, masculine and powerful. She had never seen such a sensual man. But it was more than his handsome good looks, more than his raw sex appeal. There was a pull between them that was so strong she could hardly think straight.

The look in his deep blue eyes penetrated her, piercing her with his gaze, making her breath quicken. The sounds of the music carried in from the distance, mingling with the sound of the fire, of his breathing. She had never felt this safe, this relaxed, and this tense, all at the same time. It was so confusing. She looked into his eyes, eyes that could see into her soul, eyes that made her weak with longing. Her gaze wandered from his eyes, feasting on other places on his face, the shape of his nose, the angle of his cheeks, the line of his strong chin. Her gaze stopped at his lips, and she wondered what it would be like to be kissed by his perfectly sculpted mouth, to be claimed by him, his hands moving over her, needing her, possessing her. She tensed as she realized what she had been thinking. Her reaction to him was a mystery to her. Since their first encounter, she had been drawn to him. Her blood rushed in his presence, she felt a tingling weakness with the need she had for him. She did not understand why she had this reaction.

He leaned his dark head towards hers while the music flowed through their bodies. His lips sliding seductively across her ear sending little flames licking along her body. She closed her eyes, the music surrounding them, encasing them like satin sheets so that she burned with need. They burned together, she felt it in his body. Dancing with him was a kind of sensual torment, her body felt molten with liquid fire. She found herself wanting him with every fiber of her being.

Hawke held her close, his body painful with its demands. She belonged to him, and he was going to have her no matter what. No one had ever made him feel like this before. Now his every waking and sleeping moment was occupied with thoughts of her. She's the first thing on his mind when he wakes and the last thing on his mind before he sleeps. She was pure and simple torment. Elayne was his, would be his in every way possible no matter the cost. He bent even closer to her, inhaling her smell, taking her into his body, enjoying the sight and scent of her in his arms. He reached up and loosened the pins from her hair, so he could feel her silky hair cascading into his hands, her soft skin under his fingertips. Hawke looked down at her as she tipped her head to look up at him, her eyes mixed with such emotions it turned his insides with molten heat. His hand framed her face, his thumb sliding over her satin smooth skin with great tenderness. He had to touch her, he couldn't seem to stop himself. His thumb trailed down to caress her lower lip, more than anything he wanted to taste her soft lips. The need, the desire was fierce and urgent, this time he gave in to the demand without a fight. He simply wrapped his arms around her small waist tighter and pulled her to him, one hand at the nape of her neck to pull her head closer to him as he bent down to her.

"Elayne," his voice was husky rasp by her ear.

"Hawke" she breathed nervously at hearing his voice, she whimpered and suddenly felt a warmth spread through her.

"I'm going to kiss you now," he whispered, his breathing heavy. His voice was so seductive it sent fiery desire shooting through her. Time stopped. The earth seemed to shift. His mouth was slow and gentle, coaxing her response rather than demanding it. Her lips tasted like plum wine. She moaned as his lips met hers, and he swooped in with his tongue, tasting her warm sweetness. He wanted to lose himself in the sensual heat of her mouth. She was everything to him. She was so beautiful, she took his breath away, simply looking at her actually made him literally ache inside. She was such perfection. He didn't deserve this wonderful, beautiful goddess standing here in his arms. She belonged to him, she was meant for him, been made for him, his miracle, his to love and protect. She was more than his life, she was his heart and soul. He knew he'd never be able to let her go, she would be his in every way possible.

Elayne stood there not sure how to respond when he said he was going to kiss her in that soft velvet seductive voice of his. Part of her knew that if he touched her in that way, if his mouth touched hers, she would never be truly free of him. She would crave, want, need his taste, his scent, his touch wrapped around her, she would be bound to him forever. Part of her wanted this, needed this, but part of her was scared of the feelings he was provoking in her.

Her thoughts were brought to an end when he lowered his mouth to hers, his eyes smoldering with a burning desire. At the first touch of his mouth on hers, her body ignited, flames of desire licking along her limbs until her whole body was alight with it. He was simply too much to resist. The need, the hunger he inspired, was too overwhelming. And wonderful. All she was aware of was the pleasure of his mouth on hers, the way his hands slid up and down her arms, then slid one hand to her back and the other to the back of her neck. His mouth and tongue slid over her lips tasting, coaxing. She could feel his breath, the heat, beckoning her to open up to him, and she released a moan of pleasure as he swooped in, masculine, possessive, a whirlwind of emotions and feelings swept through her, a fiery passion she had never felt before. Her body tingled, her mind went blank and her knees weakened, as she gave in completely to the simple sensation of a kiss.

Fire raced through her body as his tongue invaded her mouth. Every muscle clenched tightly, heat spread erotically and sinfully through her body. His tongue moved against hers, a slow teasing of senses, awakening her to a world of sensuality. Spreading a liquid heat, curling and throbbing within, leaving an aching need in its path. His mouth moved over hers and the world fell away. She closed her eyes, put her arms around his neck, willing to totally give herself up to him.

His body was hard, heavy, bathed in perspiration. His need for her, he was burning with hunger, consumed with it. This wasn't just a sexual attraction he felt for her. Something deep within him calling for something deep within her. If he gave in to his body, his need, he knew there would be no turning back for either of them and that's what kept him back from claiming her completely. Elayne was different, far different from other women he knew. He knew he was going to have to take his time with her, he wanted her to come to him when she was ready. He wanted to give her time, but he wasn't sure how long he could wait. Very slowly, reluctantly he broke off the kiss. He looked down at her flushed face, her blue eyes filled with passion, her beautiful lips swollen from his kiss and he groaned to himself as he pulled her closer. He let his chin brush the top of her silky hair, feeling the jolt in the core of his body.