The Inquisitor proved to be a woman of integrity, she used just the right mix of diplomacy and military power with the odd spy technique to win favours and minds to her side. It wasn't easy to begin with, but the right word from Josephine here and Cullen having soldiers march there and Leliana's men slipping into shadows she could win many to her cause. Ashanyla Trevelyan, a lady, proud warrior and gentle woman, saved all she could save and helped any she could help, even if It meant running all across the Hinterlands to put flowers on a grave for a stranger.
She did all she could to help yet times like this left her feeling useless, helpless. The man she loved lay beside her, a dream come true in itself, yet he slept uneasily. He was plagued by nightmares of the Ferelden Circle, apparently they were worse than before he stopped taking Lyrium, but Ashanyla knew it was for the best he didn't take it again so had encouraged him to stop.
Slowly the woman sat up on the bed, the covers falling from her bare chest to pool at her waist as she turned to look at him, his mumblings and shifting had woken her. Slowly she reached out a hand, wanting to touch his cheek but retracted her hand, she didn't know what would happen if she touched him. She didn't want to cause him more pain. This was sadly common and she still didn't know what to do. Shaking her head slightly, she refused to sit by and watch him suffer anymore, she had to do something, anything. Not because she was the Inquisitor and he her Commander, or even because she did all she could to help people, but because she loved him, more than anything and would do anything for him.
Taking a steadying breath Ashanyla reached out a hand and gently touched Cullen's cheek, he visibly flinched at the touch and Ashanyla frowned but didn't move her hand away, instead she rubbed her thumb over his cheekbone as she shifted to kneel at his side. Leaning down she placed a kiss on his forehead, watching his reaction as she did so, again he flinched but less so than before. Sitting up again she looked him over, still rubbing his cheek with her thumb. She took one of his hands with her free hand, holding it gently as she took in a small steadying breath again. She used to sing her little brother to sleep when they were children, before his magic showed and he was sent to the circle. She could only hope that it would help Cullen too.
Her voice started gentle, quiet almost as if she didn't want to be heard but still, she sung a Ferelden tavern song, her brothers favourite as a child, he'd always liked the Mabari and being Andrastian he'd come to love Andraste's Mabari as a song, she knew Cullen to be Ferelden so hoped he would like it as well, the only other songs she knew currently were the ones she'd heard the bard singing in the Tavern but those could be rather dark and she was sure they wouldn't help Cullen right now.
Slowly and steadily Ashanyla gained confidence in her voice and whilst staying gentle wasn't as quiet, hoping it would help calm Cullen. She watched him as she sang, his movements calmed slowly, his breathing evened out and he stopped mumbling, it wasn't all at once, but through the course of the song. It made Ashanyla smile whilst she sang, there was something she could do to help him through this.
As she reached the last chorus, her eyes closed, her soothing touches didn't falter though; she still held his hand in hers and stroked his cheek. Her eyes not opening again until after a few seconds of silence, of course when she did brown eyes stared back into her green ones and she couldn't hold back the gasp. Quickly pulling her hand away from his cheek and going to let his hand go but he stopped her, holding her hand in return. Still she covered her mouth with her free hand. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." She muttered in a tone that could only be described as weak, he just smiled up at her.
"Waking up to see you is always good, having you singing is even better." He said as he slowly sat up, his free hand coming up to rest on the back of Ashanyla's neck as he touched his forehead to hers gently. The Inquisitor could feel herself flush at that comment and let her hand drop from her mouth to rest against his chest.
"Did it help?" She asked quietly, her eyes downcast, she wanted to know that she could help him with his nightmares.
"Just having you in my arms helps Ashanyla, but yes it did." Her eyes snapped up to look at him with confusion and he couldn't help but laugh gently before leaning forward, placing a chaste kiss on her lips. "The dreams aren't as bad when we sleep together, they're still there but it's nowhere near as bad." That brought Ashanyla's flush back, she didn't realise he slept easier just from having her at his side, she shifted to bury her face into the crook of his neck, to hide her embarrassment. That caused Cullen to laugh again and she huffed slightly.
"Don't make fun of me…" she muttered with a smile earning yet another laugh before she sat up again and kissed him gently. "I really help just by sleeping with you?" She asked shyly and he nodded, leaning in for another kiss.
"I swear it, holding you, touching you? Just makes everything better." He ran a hand up through her hair gently pulling it loose of its ponytail as he did so, letting her hair which normally was nearly up and out of the way fall down over her shoulders, framing her face. He then smirked slightly and Ashanyla raised an eyebrow, wondering what he was thinking now. "Why didn't you tell me you could sing though?"
"It's not something I tell many people…" She muttered slightly looking at her hand that still rested on Cullen's chest as she started to trace absent patterns on his skin. "I used to sing to my brother when we were children, before he was sent to the circle. I haven't really needed or wanted to sing since then." She shrugged slightly still watching her fingers move without direction over Cullen's chest. She never really spoke of her brother, she'd told him about the boy when they were back at Haven, the main reason she was so willing to go to the Conclave, her brother would be there. A circle mage, it would be one of the rare times she could see him after all. She hadn't told him that her brother died at the Conclave till after they arrived at Skyhold, he'd always figured it but it took her that long to admit it.
Cullen pulled her closer to him again, kissing her gently, one hand still holding hers, the other wrapping around her waist to keep her against him even as the soft kiss broke. "You don't have to sing if it makes you sad." He felt bad for asking that, he knew her brother's death still saddened her. He was the reason she was so soft on the mages, she saw the good in all and he was the shining example of a good mage to her. She shook her head slightly and smiled at him.
"I like singing and if it helps you then I'll sing more." She leaned in to kiss him again and he smiled at that.
This time, Cullen didn't let her pull away as quickly, instead deepening the chaste kiss by running his tongue along her lower lip, still even after this time asking her permission for entrance to her mouth. She opened her mouth slightly letting him deepen the kiss, still they parted after a few seconds, foreheads touching, smiling at the other. "I love you Cullen." She spoke softly, she really did and she knew she didn't say the words often enough.
"I love you too Ashanyla." He replied with a smile before slowly laying back down, his arm still around her forcing her to lay down with him. Without really thinking about it she shifted to lay her head on his chest, curling against his side. Neither needing to say anything more, instead just let sleep claim them as they embraced one another.