Cookies For Wifey

Sera and Eclipse Lavellan are celebrating one year of marriage.
They each want to make a special surprise for the other.
Little do each of them know, they have the same idea.

The smell of something burning filled the air in the tavern’s kitchen.
        ‘Oh no!’ Sera complained. Sweat beaded on her brow, making her blonde bangs stick to her skin.
        ‘I don’t think you’re supposed to cook the raisins before putting them in the dough,’ said Iron Bull, plucking one of the charred raisins from the cooking pan. He observed it carefully, without heeding the burning raisins, it seemed.
        Sera grabbed the pan with a mitt and tossed it aside; it clattered loudly as it hit the countertop.
        ‘Not the end of the world, right.’ She looked to her Qunari friend for confirmation.
        He shrugged, popping the burnt raisin in his mouth. ‘I still don’t understand why you wanted me to help you with these, Sera.’
        ‘Because you sort of did that thing, yeah, with the rice, yeah, and you made it taste good, yeah?’
        Iron Bull nodded, a smug grin spreading across his face.
        ‘You can help me make the cookies taste good, yeah?’
        Iron Bull pursed his lips. ‘I’ll see what I can do, but I’m not doing all the heavy lifting.’
        ‘Nah, of course, not. Flour isn’t heavy.’ Sera pointed at a bag of flour. ‘Now pass the flour and the spalaturilla.’
        ‘You mean the spatula?’ asked Iron Bull.
        ‘What…ever! Just pass it to me!’
        Iron Bull chuckled. ‘Okay, let me get the sugar for you, I’ll measure the ingredients.’

* * *


        ‘And you’re certain soaking the raisins in the honey will enhance their flavour?’ Eclipse asked, a little sceptical.
        ‘I guarantee it.’ Dorian motioned to the bowl with a flourish of his hand. ‘It is done in Tevinter, and most of the bakers in the Imperium take pride in it.’
        Eclipse cocked a brow, even more dubious than before.
        ‘Let them sit for a bit,’ Dorian said, his tone reassuring. ‘They’ll be ready once the rest of the batter is ready.’
        ‘All right.’
        Eclipse began mixing all her ingredients into a bowl, while Dorian stirred the soaking raisins. They were working in Skyhold’s main kitchen and were making good progress on their batter already.
        Finally, Eclipse added the raisins to her recipe. Dorian dipped his fingers into the bowl of raisins before they had all been transferred and ate one.
        He smacked his tongue. ‘Delicious.’ He went to grab another.
        Eclipse playfully slapped his hand away, suppressing a smile. Dorian gave her a look of mock vexation.
        ‘Help me shape these.’

* * *


        Sera stared into the oven watching the cookies bake.
        ‘I think I see them rising. Do cookies rise? Are they rising? They’re not rising fast.’
        ‘Give them time,’ said Iron Bull, his deep voice sounding soothing.
        ‘Yeah, waiting sucks.’
        Iron Bull chuckled. He passed her the bowl in which remained a bit of batter.
        ‘Here.’ He passed her a spatula and took one for himself. ‘This is the best part.’
        ‘Now you’re talking.’
        Together, they dipped in, scraping the bowl clean and eating whatever remained of the dough.

* * *


        ‘Perfect!’ Eclipse clapped her hand excitedly.
        ‘Only a true test will tell,’ said Dorian, grabbing one of the cookies. He took a bite. ‘Mmhmmm.’ He closed his eyes, chewing slowly.
        ‘Does that mean it’s good?’ Eclipse asked, unsure.
        ‘Mmhmm,’ was all the reply she got.
        ‘Then I’ll have to take your word for it.’
        Taking a platter, she stacked the cookies on it and then started for the door. Before she exited, Dorian came to gallantly open the door for her, and then snatched another cookie from the plate. Had Eclipse not needed both hands, she would have again slapped his hand away. Instead, she narrowed her eyes; Dorian merely shrugged.
        ‘Enjoy.’ He chuckled.
        Eclipse hurried through the courtyard, where Cullen was snapping orders at the soldiers training, and bounded up the steps.
        ‘In a hurry?’ asked Varric, looking up from a book in which he was writing.
        Eclipse ignored him and hurried past. She ran up the stairs to her Inquisitor’s chamber and sighed in relief when she realised she wasn’t late.
        But not a moment too soon, there came a knock at the door. The door pushed open and Sera strode in.
Cookies for Wifey

        The scene before Eclipse filled her with as much glee as it did amusement: Sera was holding a platter of cookies, stacked tall, just as Eclipse was, and she could tell hers had raisins in them as well.
        Eclipse noticed Sera eyeing her own platter, glancing from one to the other.
        ‘Uh, surprise?’ said Sera, as though asking a question.
        ‘Happy anniversary?’ said Eclipse in the same tone.
        Then, both burst out laughing simultaneously.
        Sera eyed both plates again. ‘I have more cookies than you.’
        ‘Someone kept eating mine,’ Eclipse replied.
        She motioned with her head and they went to sit on the lounge. They placed both plates on a small table in front of them.
        ‘Who’s do we try first?’ asked Eclipse.
        ‘Mine.’ Sera grabbed a cookie and took a bite. ‘Okay, Iron Bull does work miracles.’
        Eclipse took a bite, letting her taste buds process the flavours in her mouth. ‘These are good. What did you put in them?’
        Sera smiled smugly. ‘A secret ingredient.’
        ‘Oh?’ Eclipse cocked a brow.
        ‘Actually, Iron Bull wouldn’t tell me. He just said it would make them taste good, yeah.’
        Sera reached for the other plate, crossing over Eclipse. They both took the time to fully taste the other cookies.
        ‘What did you do to the raisins?’ Sera asked, her mouth full. ‘They’re so sweet.’
        ‘Are they too sweet? You don’t like them.’
        ‘No, they’re goooood!’
        ‘Dorian had me soak them in honey.’
        Sera nodded in approval. She placed a hand in front of her still very full mouth. ‘We have too many cookies, though, yeah.’
        Eclipse stared at the two plates stacked tall with cookies. ‘What should we do?’
        Sera’s face lit up with a mischievous grin. Eclipse knew that look all too well.

* * *


        Eclipse and Sera hurried to hide behind the tavern’s wall, peering out from the side to look on as Cassandra walked to the training dummies. She lifted her sword high and hit the dummy hard, and several cookies fell from it.
        ‘What is the meaning of this!’ Cassandra exclaimed. ‘Now what is that boy up to again?’
        Eclipse and Sera giggle, trying not to be too loud.
        Above them, Cole sat on the roof, dangling his feet.
        ‘Annoyed and stern in her tone, she hides her amusement, her curiosity. She is embarrassed. She does not want anyone to see; she wants to eat the cookies.’
        Giggling, Eclipse and Sera snuck around to the other side, to watch the fruits of the labour take shape. They hurried down the courtyard steps and observed from afar as Blackwall studied the cookie that sat upon the rocking horse he was carving. He furrowed his brows and leaned in close. He looked around.
        ‘Ha-hah!’ Sera whispered triumphantly, as Blackwall took the cookie and ate it.
        They ran up the steps again and up again to the battlements. They entered Cullen’s office and quickly placed cookies on the bookshelves behind his desk. They hurried out just as he was entering through the other door. He stared at his notes, his eyes never leaving the scroll. He reached for a bottle of whiskey and instead grabbed a cookie. He stared at it, before sighing, and then resumed pacing, reading his scroll.
        Looking down from the battlements, they began to drop some cookies on top of some of the soldiers’ heads.
        ‘Wait!’ someone cried. The Chargers hurried towards the wall from below in the courtyard.
        ‘I reckon I can catch one of those!’ Dalish said.
        ‘I’ve caught more flying food than any of you combined,’ Krem boasted.
        ‘Let’s see it then.’ Sera dropped a cookie. It was Grunt who caught it, moving swiftly.
        As Sera and Eclipse dropped more cookies, the Chargers took turns catching them, but in the end, the winner was Grunt.
        ‘Bet you he was in a circus, yeah.’
        After pranking more of their friends, Sera and Eclipse ran up to the Inquisitor’s room, out of breath; Eclipse was happy they wouldn’t be around to see some of the aftermaths of these pranks. They collapsed onto the lounge, laughing.
        ‘Now that is the best anniversary I could have asked for!’ Eclipse exclaimed.
        ‘Same, wifey.’
        Eclipse gently kissed Sera, smiling all the while, before leaning back and relaxing.
        Sera leaned her head on Eclipse’s shoulder, and Eclipse closed her eyes.

Note: This fanfic was written for my step-daughter’s sixteenth birthday,
because she deserves a sweet Sweet-Sixteen.

The artwork in this fanfic was a commission done by SavvyScribbles.

“Cookies For Wifey” is written by Celinka Serre (2022).

Disclaimer: This story is derivative and consistent of Fan-Fiction since it borrows the franchise world of Dragon Age. Certain jargon and places, or concepts mentioned, along with the Dragon Age universe belong to BioWare and EA. This fan-fiction story falls under Fair Use.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.