Author's Note\Heads up: There aren't many fan-fictions dedicated to the possible relationship between Ser Gilmore and Bryce Cousland's youngest, so I thought do a shorter fan-fiction to test the waters so to speak. It is going to take place prior to the events in Dragon Age and up the end of the human noble origin, so new events are going be included with the familiar Highever cast and my character, Katalyn. However, I do have other ideas if people like it enough to extend it or at least make a sequel past the usual end to the story. I really hope you enjoy it and as always reviews are always welcome, especially for this one to know if I should keep it going.

She swung her sword with full force downward and her opponent reacted, swinging upward to meet her. They collided midway, each one holding strong. She looked at him for the briefest of instances as they fought for control. Ser Gilmore was as fiercely determined to win the duel as she was. She could see it in his dark green eyes. He was only one of the knights that did not hold back just because she was Katalyn Cousland, the daughter of the Teyrn of Highever.

She did not ask to be born as the youngest child to the noble family, second only to Ferelden royalty. She wished the men would stop treating her as their better, if nowhere else but when she sparred with them. Ser Gilmore did not seem to care about her status at least when they fought. That was unexpected of him. Being as upstanding, knightly, and handsome, it was a refreshing change.

Suddenly, she caught her thoughts and replayed them. She had not called him handsome, did she? She had not meant to...At least, she didn't think she did. That brief thought broke her focus and concentration, allowing Ser Gilmore the opportunity to give one hearty push of his sword, overpowering her. The force of the push caused Katalyn to stumble backwards. Her sword flew out of her hand, clanking noisily to the ground. Her armored boot got caught in a groove in the ground, threatening to send her tumbling down.

She reached out desperate to find something to hold on to keep from falling. She hooked her fingers into small gap between the armor plates covering Ser Gilmore's chest and arm just as Ser Gilmore was sheathing his sword. Due to the armor being well fasten to him and the suddenness this was all unfolding, he was left unable to stop himself being pulled down with her. They both crashed heavily to the courtyard ground.

Katalyn winced as he fell directly on top of her. His heavier armor added a lot more weight to his built body that she wasn't expecting and it knocked the wind right out of her. "I'm sorry, my lady." Ser Gilmore apologized immediately upon seeing her reaction. It took him a second to realize the compromising position he was now in with her. That realization caused his checks to flush as Katalyn reopened her eyes and looked up at him.

Her eyes were as green as his but at the same time completely unlike his eyes. His eyes stayed dark while hers appeared grow lighter whenever they caught the light or of her own accord when she was happy. It was something he never seen matched by anyone other woman in Ferelden and he found them completely amazing as most people thought the same of their owner.

Sir Gilmore had always heard the other knights talk about how beautiful the only daughter of the Teyrn and Teyrna was, but he never did allow himself to even think of her that way, not once even in the almost six years they had now known each other...Okay, maybe once but that was only when they first met and that was because he didn't know who she was. Now, he could feel those long repressed feelings stir deep within him. They urged him to just close the distance between their lips and kiss her, just to see what her reaction would be. However, his knightly sensibilities would never allow him to take such liberties, especially with his lordship's daughter.

"No, Ser Gilmore, it's my fault. I'm the one who should be sorry. I shouldn't have taken you with me." Katalyn replied finally getting her power of speech back, blatantly unaware of internal turmoil residing in the man above her. She could see him blushing, turning almost as red as his ruby red hair. She had no other inkling of his feelings for her. She did realize how close they were and a part of her wanted him to kiss her or for her to kiss him. She knew it was just a silly thing for her to want since he was so devoted to his duties to try anything of the sort with any lady of the castle, especially her. She was suppose to be finding potential suitors only in noble class and her parents, her mother most definitively, would not want her to engage in any of that kind of activity with a knight under their service.

So they just stare into each other's eyes, each wanting more then but unable to take the first step to any sort of movement. Then as if the situation could not get more awkward between the lady of the castle and the knight, they heard someone clear their throat in an overly exaggerated way as the man stopped a few feet above their heads. They both craned their necks to look up at the man.

Katalyn was the first to recognize him. Even upside down, she could not mistake her older brother, Fergus, for anyone else. "Am I interrupting something?" She heard him ask as she watched him try to hide an amused smile from playing across his lips as he looked down at them. That was her brother for her, always finding amusement in her familiar way of landing herself into trouble.

"No, Fergus, we were just practicing." Katalyn responded as Ser Gilmore stood up before offering her a hand to do the same. "Then I suppose 'Practicing what?' might be the better question, sister." Fergus could not resist retorting, to which he received a dirty glare from her behind Ser Gilmore's back as his only answer. His sister was forever throwing him deadly glares whenever he said something she deemed inappropriate. He had learned to expect it and ignore it, all in the same shot. Katalyn dusted off her leather armor that covered her hourglass form as Ser Gilmore looked them over.

The two Cousland siblings did share all the familiar family traits including their eye color and their dark chocolate locks. Katalyn's short hair was much like her brother, except for the fact that she had a few bands that lifted a few locks of hair above the other, binding them into small braids that were just done to please her mother. He realized his presence could be a nuisance to them especially after what happened. "Uh, my lord, you must have some pressing business to talk with your sister, so I will leave you two alone. I will take my leave now, if you will excuse me, my lord, and my lady." Ser Gilmore said with an excuse, a quick nod towards each of them, and then turned on his heel to running off hastily. He was scrambling so fast, he almost tripped over his feet twice in the process.

Katalyn watched him leave before sighing heavily. "Thanks a lot, Fergus." She said in an annoyed tone with a look back to her brother, crossing her arms across her chest as she did. "Aww, is my little sister mad at me because I ruined her fun? Did she want some time alone with her favorite knight like that time I caught you together?" Fergus responded unable to resist again bothering her with her budding romance with Ser Gilmore, which even he had realized had started a long time ago.

"Not that again, I told you already. He was just cleaning the horses and I was just helping him. I slipped on a puddle and he caught me then you walked in. Nothing more then that happened." She answered turning toward him trying to drive her point home so he would stop bring it up. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to get how serious she was, or at least didn't want to get that she was telling the truth or else it would ruin his fun in ribbing his little sister. That was her brother for her a pain in hindquarters sometimes, but did generally look out for his younger sibling, when he was not bothering her such as right now.

"Whatever you want to tell yourself to get to sleep at night, Katalyn, I think you would just do yourself a world of good if you come out and admit it. You like Ser Gilmore, don't you? I already can tell he's smitten with you...even though for the life of me I can't see why." Fergus said with a smile. Jokily, he mumbled the last part to himself but his sister didn't seem to be paying attention to him. She stood quiet which was not characteristically like her. "Ser Gilmore is...smitten with me?" Katalyn repeated in tiny voice, amazed. Her reaction caused Fergus to shake his head sighing. "My poor, sweet, innocent, little sister to be so experienced in ways of the sword, but not at all in the ways of men, how are you ever going to land a husband at this rate?" He asked, trying to hide his amusement in his voice.

Katalyn rolled her eyes before responded right back with a quip of her own, "Like you're any better with women, brother. I do recall a time when you couldn't even bring yourself to walk up to a woman without turning into a bumbling, stuttering, fool. So you had to send your cute, adorable, little sister to begin to bother them then you come and scold me just so you have something to talk to them about." Fergus was about to respond, but thought the better of it.

Katalyn did have a lot of information on him that was best kept between brother and sister. "Point taken, I will not say another word about the subject of men, Ser Gilmore, and you." He stated much to Katalyn's relief. "Now, that I got you back to being serious. Why are you out here? Was Ser Gilmore right? Did you need me for something?" She asked, growing curious. She watched her brother have to think for a minute before he remembered why he was out there.

"Oh, yes, Mother wanted to see you as soon as possible. She also said if you refused, I was to drag you kicking and screaming all the way to tower's guest room. I don't want to or even think I can do that after seeing you train with the men, so just go see her okay?" He said smiling. "What was so important that she wanted me so badly?" Katalyn wondered out loud. Fergus sighed before answer, "Well you know our mother. It probably has to do with something about the feminine pursuits she loves to tell you about. You know she fond of giving you those lectures--I mean lessons."

Katalyn smiled at her brother's comment, despite that what he said was the truth. As the Teyrna of Highever, Eleanor Cousland did see herself as being responsible to make sure all the women of the castle were keep update on latest fashions, hair styles, and whatever else fell under the domain of being more put together woman. Katalyn was her only daughter so she got the worst of constant insistences of what she should be doing to be more becoming of her status and never fail to scold her whenever she did something less then lady-like. It was already a struggle to get her mother to allow Katalyn outside in her battle armor so she could spar with the other knights.

Katalyn sighed, knowing whatever her mother wanted it was best to get it over right away or else risk the consequence of having to sit through a two hour lecture on how she should act more like a proper lady. So, she said good-bye to her brother before beginning to lightly jog towards the castle's doors, but not before she heard her brother call out smartly after her, "Oh and Katalyn, do the Cousland family name a favor and don't be falling over with any more knights on your way to Mother. I don't think Ferelden nobles would want to hear rumors about that...Well, maybe they would...Never mind."

Katalyn shook her head, still laughing at his comment as she made her way to the tower's guest room. That guest room was rarely used now because of its far distance away from the rest of the castle. She knew if her mother wanted to meet her there that it was something that Eleanor wanted no one to know about or see until she was ready for them to know. The closer she got the room she could feel her nerves begin to kick in.

The door was closed tight making Katalyn have to knock. She was about to knock again when it suddenly opened and she was pulled quickly into the room before the door was shut tightly behind her. She looked at the person who still held her elbow firmly and was surprised to find out the hand belonged to a recognizable face with eyes much like hers. It was her mother, Eleanor. Her hair as usual was tied into a bun with a braid securing it in place at the base of her neck. Eleanor always jokily insisted that half of the grey hairs on her head were due to her daughter's constant preoccupation with everything but her duties as a lady of the castle. However, lately Katalyn had to wonder if her mother was really joking about that.

"Did anyone see you come up here? Did you tell anyone where you where going?" She heard her mother ask nervously before she even got a chance to say anything. "No, no one saw me or knows anything except Fergus. Mother, what is going on here? Why are you being so secretive?" Katalyn asked now truly confused as well as nervous. "Oh, thank the Maker, I worried when I sent that boy to come get you that someone else might come and investigate what we are doing here. I want you to meet someone, dear, this is Lady Adelaide." Eleanor said as she gestured for the small, frail, woman to come closer to them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Adelaide." Katalyn stated knowing to she still had to be courteous even if she had no idea who she was or what was she was doing there. "It is pleasure to meet you too, my lady. You are just as beautiful as your mother describes." Lady Adelaide said with a little bow toward her. "Mother, just who is she?" Katalyn asked in whisper as she smiled gratefully returning the bow to the woman in front of her. "Lady Adelaide is well-known dressmaker, my dear. I hired her to make your dress for your party. That's why she is here." Eleanor said smiling broadly. Her answer shocked her daughter so much that the smile fell off her face. That was it? Her mother brought her all the way up there to get a dress made by a well-known dressmaker? She couldn't believe it...Well, knowing her mother as she did, she could believe it, but she just didn't want to.

"So what was all the secrecy for? This isn't like this is some secret diplomacy going on between Ferelden and Orlais, so why did you need to keep it a secret?" She couldn't stop herself from asking. "Now, you know that the Orlesians are not that bad, child. Some of finest people I ever meet were Orlesian including Lady Adelaide here. I wanted to keep it a secret because if anyone knows what you're wearing, we will have half the castle woman finding a way to wear it before nightfall. We only have a week until your special day, after all it is going to be your twentieth birthday party and I already invited half of Ferelden's people to be there." She stated happily.

"And all of the most eligible noblemen, I bet." Katalyn couldn't help and grumble under her breath. She didn't even want a big fancy party and once again her mother did something without consulting her. It was just going to be another event that her mother hoped to get her to marry some nobleman from the countryside. None of them, she bet, could have held a candle or sword to Ser Gilmore. "What was that, my dear?" Eleanor asked catching her previous comment and looked at her with a scrutinizing glare. "Nothing, Mother, I didn't say anything. Let's just get this thing over with." Her daughter stated resigning to the fact there was going to be no way out of this. That was one thing her mother was, stubborn.

For the next hour and half, Katalyn stood in the center of the room as her mother and Lady Adelaide, who was surprising quick for the way she looked, scurried around grabbing each one of the fabrics laid out around the room. She knew they were trying to find the one that would make the perfect dress, but it seemed everyone they picked up was dismissed for one reason or another. 'This one goes better with her hair, but not with her light skin tone.' Or 'This one brings out her eyes, but not with her hair.' Katalyn was tempted on more then one occasion to try and sneak out this living torture for her when both of them had their backs to her. It was like her mother had eyes in the back of her head because the moment Katalyn moved to the door, her mother would scold her and she would hurriedly stand back where she was, waiting for awhile before she attempted it again.

After what seemed like an eternity to her, she was finally released from the room but not before Lady Adelaide got precise measurement of her feminine assets. Her mother was going to make sure that the dress was going to fit only her daughter to a tee. Katalyn didn't care she was just glad to be free as she made her way to her room. When she reached her room, she closed the door behind her sighing out of relief before she threw herself on her bed exhausted. Her thoughts immediately drifted back to what her brother said, 'I already can tell he's smitten with you.'

Ser Gilmore liked her? She thought he was duty bound to keep the line between them dug so deep, there was no way to cross it. All this time, she hinted at liking him when she as talking to him or training with him, yet he didn't even seem to notice. It made her eventually give up trying, even though she was always tempted to say something again. Now, her brother said he could tell that Ser Gilmore liked her, but he just never said it to anyone. Now, it made her more determined to keep trying.

Suddenly, there was a scratching sound at the door. Katalyn smiled knowing the four-legged friend those sounds belong to, Dane. He was the mabari hound that her father bought for her a long time ago. "Dane, just come in. You know you don't have to have me tell you that." She said sitting up and immediately the door swung open with the tan mabari's jaws still clamped around the doorknob. He let it go and spun around using his almost tailless rump to close the door behind him. His dark brown eyes locked onto his mistress' eyes as he licked the remaining meat scraps from his lips.

Katalyn sighed seeing this. "Dane, were you in the larder again?" She asked, knowing that meat was probably supposed to be today's dinner. Dane whined, looking down guiltily. "Nan is going to have fit when she finds out." She said just second before a loud ruckus sounded throughout the hallways, followed by yelling. Katalyn didn't need to get up to know it was too late. Nan had already found out.

"Dane, hide." She told the hound quickly and he barked in agreement before diving underneath her bed. Just in time too as Katalyn heard someone stomping down the hallway and to her room. Then there was a knock before she heard someone say through the door, "Katalyn, it's me. I know that mutt is in there. There is a trail of food leading from the kitchen to here." "He's not here, Nan. I haven't seen Dane all day today." She lied, hoping that would be enough to persuade her to go back to the kitchen.

"I can tell your lying, child. Maker's breath, I've known you long enough. I'm coming in." Nan said and before Katalyn could get another word out edgewise her door was opened for third time in a few minutes. Nan looked around the room carefully before looking back at Katalyn, studying her for any signs of stress. "See, Nan, he's not here. Maybe he came back here once while I was out, I just got back to my room only minutes ago." Katalyn stated doing her best to keep her story short and simple not to mess up.

Nan stood quiet for the longest time watching her. It almost made her want to confess that he was under the bed because of the pressure she could feel on her with Nan's seemingly knowing gaze. Just then Nan scoffed before speaking, "Very well, child, I believe you. If you do see him, I want you to promise you'll send him to me. I'll make sure to make sure he'll never take another one of my meals again." "Of course, Nan." Katalyn responded to which Nan approved and exited closing the door behind her. As soon as she was gone, Dane stuck his head out from under the bed.

"The coast is clear, Dane. You can come out now." She said and he did just that before jumping onto her bed. He licked her face appreciated, much to Katalyn's disapproval. "Now listen, the next time you steal food from the larder, you're on your own to deal with Nan, you understand, boy?" She said petting him. He whined looking down. "Now, don't give me that look...Okay, fine, I'll help you out. Just promise me next time don't leave a trail of food to my door, okay?" She stated and Dane barked in understanding. She knew he meant it. That hound was just too smart for his own good.

She sighed, laying back down and Dane settled next to her, resting his head on her stomach. She petted him absent-mindedly as she began to tell him about her day. From dueling to dressing, it was good to have someone to talk to that wouldn't feel the need to make funny quips or a party she didn't even want. At least, Ser Gilmore was a good listener as well. He would listen to her and not say a word, but she knew he was listening as his eyes always followed her attentively. She would test him sometimes though just to make sure he was. She wondered if he would still be that way of he and she were together, but she was just being silly again...That could never be, could it?