Scout Lace Harding will not go to bed with me. This is my thought every time we flirt in Dragon Age: Inquisition, our interactions at first limited to my arrivals in various locations across the game map of Thedas. When the Inquisition moves to Skyhold and she takes up permanent residence in the courtyard, still, she will not go to bed with me. And while I understand that, just like in real life, not every NPC in a video game will want to smooch me, it breaks my heart to flirt with her and hear her flirt back and know that’s as far as it will ever go on-screen.

Except now, Scout Lace Harding has been confirmed as the first fully romanceable dwarf in the Dragon Age franchise, and I have never loved BioWare more.

Not only is she a companion in the upcoming Dragon Age: The Veilguard, but she’s a romance option for all player characters regardless of their gender. If the player chooses not to pursue a romance with Harding, she hooks up with Taash, another companion. I love when BioWare adds in these NPC-NPC relationships between companions because it makes the world feel that much richer.

I hope to see their relationship unfold eventually, but in my first Veilguard playthrough, I’m romancing Lace Harding. Without question. Although I didn’t play Inquisition immediately upon its release in 2014, I played it a couple of years later and immediately fell in love with the game, its world, its characters, and its lore.

I also fell in love with Harding, and I am so excited BioWare answered my and many other players’ dreams by making her a full romance option in the next game.

BioWare’s biggest mainstays, Dragon Age and Mass Effect, are in part so addictive because they bring back characters from previous games. I love the Garrus and Liara romances in Mass Effect because of how they develop across the original trilogy. I love Leliana’s character arc in Dragon Age because of her growth through the first three games. Harding has an arguably tiny role in Inquisition, but the Veilguard promos—including the gameplay preview released in June—spotlight her. She co-narrates the reveal trailer with Varric and she’s one of Veilguard’s seven available companions. She’s also (seemingly) the first dwarf in the series to demonstrate magical ability (1:30 and 2:38 in the release date trailer below), which is such a huge deal I cried when I watched the trailer for the first time.

Finally, a Full dWARF rOMANCE

I’d argue that anyone who loves Inquisition is excited to see Harding get a bigger role in Veilguard, but no one more than the people who have been dying for a dwarf romance generally and a Harding romance specifically. You can play a dwarf in every single game, so technically, full dwarf romances have always existed—but it’s never been possible to fully romance a dwarven NPC before Veilguard, which is what makes the option so significant.

Generally, dwarves exist as guides to Orzammar and the mines or—in Varric’s case—ride-or-die best friends. He also returns in the next game, though not as a companion—meaning he’ll likely be an advisor similar to Leliana, Cullen, and Josephine in Inquisition. (Hopefully, he’ll live through the entire game.) Although I’ve been one of many to petition for a Varric romance, I understand that his heart already belongs to someone else. Leaving him off the table is consistent with his arc, and frankly, I just hope to go on more than one mission with him.

But the BioWare writers have produced some truly gorgeous romance arcs. It’s about damn time we get one with a dwarf.

Why Lace Harding?

The casual flirtation with Harding in Inquisition is just enough to wet the palette and leave you wanting more. If you tell her that you like her in the courtyard at Skyhold and don’t pursue romance with any other characters, then Vivienne will comment on your relationship in the Tresspasser DLC.

Unfortunately, this is the only “confirmation” of your relationship. You cannot unlock cutscenes with Harding herself, nor can you hug, kiss, or otherwise touch her. No one comments on your flirtationship in the main game. While there is plenty of room to create headcanons about how your relationship develops off-screen (that’s what fanfiction is for, after all), it would be nice to see things develop on-screen with cutscenes and emotional moments and decisions that impact the world around you.

For as many players who think romance “ruins” games like Dragon Age, I beg to differ. For queer and trans players, in particular, the ability to choose between multiple potential partners in a video game is huge. Representation really does matter, especially when you pour hours and days and weeks and months and years into a story and become immersed in the writing and graphics and mechanics.

I also think it’s important that players be allowed to avoid romance, whether because that’s not their preferred style of play or because they’re ace/aro (or some combination of both). The dialogue options in Dragon Age make it so you’re never forced to flirt, but the option is there. In Veilguard, the option will once again be there with Harding, this time with the promise of more.

Although it was nearly a decade ago, I remember how I squeaked the first time I saw the flirtation option in a dialogue wheel during a conversation with Harding. I remember asking my partner at the time if I could romance her, and the disappointment I felt when they said I could only flirt with her. There are some gorgeous romance arcs in Inquisition and I love them dearly, but until it was revealed that Harding is a Veilguard romance option, I couldn’t help but be a little bitter about the lack of substance to her romance in the third game.

First of all, Lace Harding is hot. Red hair and freckles always get me down bad and her adeptness with a bow and arrow only makes her hotter. She’s also incredibly competent and damn good at her job. She has a mabari named Contessa. She’s indispensable to the Inquisition and one of Leliana’s best scouts (if not the best). I’m thrilled to learn more about her background, her life, and to have weighty conversations. She’ll likely be a permanent party member for me, even if I play a rogue (which I’m likely to do, since it’s my favorite class).

What we’ve seen so far of Veilguard further reinforces how tough Harding is, even when something completely unprecedented begins to happen to her. I want to know what she’s thinking, how she’s feeling, what she’s been up to in the decade since Inquisition. Is she happy? Has she been competing with Varric for most demons killed?

On one hand, I’ve been waiting years for this and assuming it would never happen to curb my disappointment if it didn’t. On the other, now that I know it’s on the horizon (and so close), I feel like I can’t wait another second.

After years of creating mountains from molehills anytime BioWare released tiny snippets of information about the fourth Dragon Age game, processing so many reveals this summer has been a wild ride. My excitement for Dragon Age: The Veilguard is absolutely off the charts, magnified tenfold by how excited I am to romance Lace Harding. October 31st is already one of my favorite days of the year, and this year it’s going to be even more perfect.

And since my greatest wish for Veilguard was granted (besides punching Solas, which I’m almost positive I’ll be allowed to do at some point), here’s another: Maybe in Dragon Age 5, there will be options for full polyamorous romances…

✦ Like what you read? Leave a tip!

✦ Want to have posts like this delivered straight to your inbox (with bonus content)? Subscribe to my newsletter!

Read More