There was a knock on the door, and Bodhan answered, as always.
The dwarf looked up at the Templar at the door. He'd never seen this man before, but recognized the armor. The Templar gazed back, asking to see Hawke. He seemed like a nice gentleman, but the mistress of the manor was rather sour about Templars.
"Wait here, messere, and I'll fetch her for you," Bodhan told him. He told Sandal to keep an eye on the nice Templar and hurried up the stairs.
Cullen took a deep breath, glancing about himself in the grand entrance of the Hawke manor. The fireplace was alight with a warm, welcoming fire and the air was thick with the smell of something sweet baking in an oven somewhere. The peace of within was a stark, nearly jarring difference to the turmoil just outside these stone walls.
Living here, he could see why Hawke always seemed to have a cool head. If he had such a paradise as this, maybe he'd be better off.
"I expected you'd turn up sooner or later," a deep, strong voice said behind him.
Cullen turned around to see Marian Hawke, apostate and Champion of Kirkwall, descending the staircase. She was dressed in burgundy robes, her dark hair down about her shoulders. He'd never seen the woman in anything but light leather armor.
"Hawke, I—I wanted to thank you," Cullen stammered, caught off-guard. "For everything."
"It's not enough though, is it?" she said, walking toward Cullen. She stood beside him, looking into the roaring fire. "I let him go."
"He won't be impossible to track," Cullen assured. "I've sent for his phylactery from Denerim. Once we have that, we can track him all over the world."
"I think I'm finished chasing rogue mages," Hawke said quietly, her gaze still on the fire.
Cullen was silent for a moment before he confessed, "So am I."
At last she lifted her hazel gaze to him. "It's in your job description."
He couldn't help the smile playing at his lips and replied, "I'm afraid I'm getting a little tired of this job."
"I would, were I you," she said, and now she smiled. "Let's not chase mages. Will you stay for dinner, Cullen?"
"If whatever it is that you have baking is being served, I would love to," he replied.
"That's a special treat for after dinner," she said playfully. She looped her arm through his. "I think you deserve it."