Gwyn entered Cullen's office, eyeing sheets strewn over his desk and multiple chairs that made up a large tent. A small smirk grew on her face as she heard giggles and whispers within. Finally, a small head with soft blonde curls poked out from an opening. Cedric would be nearing his sixth name day, and, despite being quite well-spoken, he had proven to be a handful already. Smiling at the sight of her son, she bent down to meet his gaze.
"Excuse me, I'm looking for the Commander of the Inquisition. Have you seen him?" Cedric's blue eyes sparkled as he disappeared back into the tent, giggling and whispering to what could have only been his father. Inside, Cullen cleared his throat in attempt to hide laughter. Cedric then poked his head out once more, giving a grin that exposed a missing front tooth.
"I'm keeping the Commander safe. I must keep the dragons outside of my castle, mum!"
"Yes, the fearsome and terrible dragon! We must hold our position, ser Cedric!" Cullen laughed to himself, causing Gwyn to raise an eyebrow.
"Is that so? That's an admirable goal, dear knight. Surely you must be mistaken, however. I am no dragon." Gwyn crawled to him, her fingers wiggling wildly as she got closer. Cedric shrieked with glee as he retreated into the tent with Gwyn's fingers tickling him shamelessly. It wasn't long before Cullen, who had been laughing in the corner, joined in with the tortuous procession. Cedric giggled madly as he swatted their hands away.
"I take it these are the chairs from the main hall that Josephine has been looking all over for?" Gwyn suddenly asked, stifling her laughter. Cullen pressed a finger to his lips.
"We don't talk about secrets here, my lady." A twinkle in his eye appeared as he pulled Gwyn closer to him, her back resting against his chest. He pressed a quick kiss to her cheek before looking down at their son.
"So, noble knight, however shall we keep watch over this fine base?" Cedric's eyes lit up as Cullen spoke. He stood, brandishing an imaginary sword in Gwyn's direction.
"We must stand against the dragon! Commander, man the treb…the trebu…" He fumbled over the word before Cullen leaned in his ear, whispering. "The trebuchets! I shall assault from the ground!" Immediately the boy continued to fight with his imaginary sword, pretending to poke and prod at his mother. Cullen couldn't help but laugh as Gwyn pretended to fall to her knees miming her death. As Cedric ran outside of the small fort, he whooped and hollered- chanting, "The lion of Skyhold has won! The dragon is dead!"
Gwyn opened her eyes as she lay on the floor of Cedric's "castle," a smile creeping over her lips.
"He's been spending far too much time with his father, I think." Cullen bent down, his lips nearing hers.
"Oh, but the gloating…I swear he gets that from his mother." He chuckled lightly, his stubble rubbing against her cheek before he kissed her.
"Eewwwwwww!" Cedric stood at the opening of the tent, covering his eyes and giving his parents a look of disgust. Cullen pulled the boy to the floor, his fingers tickling him until Cedric was out of breath from squealing. Gwyn smiled to herself as she watched the two of them together. They'd talked about having more children together a few times already. It was moments like these that made those thoughts pop up frequently. She thought of the day she caught Cullen showing Cedric how to handle a wooden sword and shield out in the training yard, the moment she watched Cullen let Cedric sit on his knee at his desk and explain various tactics to him that his soldiers could have utilized better, or even the moments where Cullen whispered stories and lullabies during the late nights that Cedric wouldn't sleep easily as an infant. Those were the moments that left Gwyn wanting.
"Alright, alright. I hate to break up all the fun, but it is well past your bedtime and Lady Josephine needs these chairs for a banquet tomorrow." Gwyn frowned, causing a groan from both Cedric and Cullen.
"Dragons." Cullen sighed, shaking his head and giving a small wink in Gwyn's direction.
"Can you tell me a story first, da?" Cedric's voice was small as he pouted. Cullen looked to Gwyn for approval.
"How could I say no to a face like that?" He asked her, grinning.
"Pleeeeeeeeease, mum? Just one?"
"Oh yes, please mum?" Both were pouting at her, causing her to sigh as she let her back settle against Cullen's chest again.
"Alright, just one." This time she gave Cullen a furtive glance. One often turned into two, which sometimes even turned into three when he was given the chance.
"C'mere, love," Cullen motioned to Cedric, who didn't waste another moment sidling up beside Gwyn and resting on Cullen. "What story shall I tell you today?"
"Can you tell me about the woman again? The one who battled monsters from the Fade and…" Cedric yawned while Gwyn eyed Cullen suspiciously.
"There once was a very kind and honorable woman, who just happened to be a mage-"
"Like you, mummy!" Cedric exclaimed, his blue eyes darting towards hers. She gave a small smile as Cullen smoothed his son's curls.
"Just like mummy, that's right. This woman could do anything from the casting of a deadly wall of fire to the conjuring of these beautiful, enchanted lights, and many people feared her because of this. Including me, at times."
"But you're not scared of anything," Cedric argued, looking up at his father.
"Oh, but I was. You see, it's very easy to be scared of what you don't quite understand." He ran his fingers through Cedric's unruly hair. Cedric breathed slowly, his eyes half-hooded, yet determined to stay awake.
"What'd she do, da?" It came out in an exhausted mumble.
"She tried to be the best she could. She defeated a great monster when she helped the Templars and offered them an alliance so they could be better-" Cedric raised an eyebrow.
"Ser Cole was there, wasn't he?" Cullen smiled as he leaned down to kiss Cedric's temple.
"Yes he was, he helped the mage defeat the scary monster."
"Were you there with the mage, mummy?" Cedric's eyes were closed and his voice slurred as he was slowly drifting between the worlds of awake and asleep. Gwyn tucked blonde strands of hair behind his ears.
"Mmhm, I was." Cullen gave Gwyn a small smile as her fingers stroked Cedric's face. Cedric had always known the importance that came along with Gwyn's title but never quite understood where it had come from. He watched Cullen in the training yard almost daily, and knew Gwyn busied herself with reports when she was in Skyhold, yet knew little of what she did when she left.
"But Cole once told me you helped the Templars," Cedric mumbled, his body slowly curling into Cullen's.
"That, I did." Gwyn smiled, bending down to kiss his cheek. It was quiet for a few moments as Gwyn rested her head on Cullen's chest and watched their son breathe. Cullen kissed Gwyn on the head before looking down at Cedric.
"I suppose we'd better get him to bed," Cullen sighed. He carried Cedric in his arms to his own quarters, where he carefully set him down. Gwyn covered him with his blankets and planted a kiss on his cheek.
"Love you, sweet boy." She whispered, tucking him in as Cullen quickly smoothed Cedric's hair. The couple turned to leave the room when the young boy groaned softly.
"Mummy?" He called out. Gwyn turned to join his side.
"Mmhm?"
"You're the mage that da tells me about, aren't you?" It came out in a soft whisper, as if it were a secret that only he had figured out. She sat down on the edge of the bed, her fingers running through his locks. She was quiet for a moment, trying weigh out her response before finally kissing his forehead.
"I am." She nodded. Cedric rolled over in his bed, a small smile growing on his face.
"I knew it." He looked up at her once more before closing his eyes. Cullen watched from the doorway as Gwyn waited until Cedric drifted back off to sleep once more. Carefully, Gwyn left his side and was welcomed into Cullen's arms. He held her tightly, planting kisses on her head as they watched their son sleep. I want more. The thought came to Cullen quickly. The question hung on his lips, waiting and wanting to be asked until Gwyn broke the silence.
"D'you think we could do this again?" She looked up at him, her eyes questioning. He hadn't responded, so she clarified, "Have another, I mean?" Relief washed over Cullen as he squeezed her slightly.
"Absolutely," he grinned. Gwyn rested her head on his chest, listening to the sounds of his heart beating and their son breathing lightly. Regardless of what books would say about the Herald of Andraste, about the victorious Inquisitor, this felt like her crowning achievement. They stood in silence, listening to each other breathe until Gwyn slowly turned each flame down with a gentle turn of her wrist. The two walked in the corridor, Cullen's arm wrapped around the small of her back.
"You realize we have to put all those chairs in your office away, right?" Gwyn laughed as Cullen rubbed the back of neck.
"One thing at a time, dear. One thing at a time." He sighed happily.