Chapter 2 - A Ray of Sunshine
Cullen didn't bother to hide his relief when they finally arrived at Chateau Haine and he could take a break. Hawke and the pirate disappeared into the castle grounds without a second glance at him, but Bethany lingered, smiling shyly at him.
"Goodbye, Cullen. Where will you be staying?"
He shrugged. "There's an inn a few miles down the road. The Charging Wyvern. I'll sleep there and return tomorrow at noon, as soon as the party is over, and escort you back to Kirkwall." He turned to leave, when an afterthought occurred to him. "Have fun, Bethany."
"Thank you!" Her smile brightened, and it was like a stab to his chest. Maker, she's like a ray of sunshine! He knew he shouldn't even be thinking of her like this, but for a moment he wished nothing more than to see her smile like this every day, for him, because of him.
He shook off the thought. A free day at a cosy roadside inn would be a pleasant change from his usual routine. There would be no drinking, of course, but maybe he could try some venison, which was supposed to be the local delicacy. The Gallows rations were plentiful but bland, and he was looking forward to a nice, homely meal and a comfortable bed.
It had grown hotter too, and he was grateful for the inn's thick stone walls. Still, he didn't get much sleep that night. Images of Bethany flashed unbidden before his inner eye. Bethany smiling. Bethany's full lips, her tongue darting out to moisten them. The tantalizing glimpses of white, soft skin along the high, forbidding neckline of her robes.
The next day, he arrived punctually at their rendezvous point, but Hawke's party hadn't arrived yet. He wasn't overly worried. He had heard stories about Duke Prosper's parties and knew that apart from the hunt and the dinner they usually involved a fair amount of debauchery. It was very possible they had overslept. Still, by early afternoon almost all other guests had passed him on the forest path, and there was still no sign of them.
And then the noises started to drift down the hill. Fighting. The clanging of swords. The screeching of a wyvern. The unmistakable buzzing of spells in the air. He was about to enter the grounds, lack of invitation be damned, when a small group of riders came in sight. Hawke was wearing her armour again, as did Tallis. Bethany was still in her court dress, a dark red gown with a deep cleavage that looked stunning on her, despite being torn and singed and splattered with blood at the hem. He swallowed when he saw her.
"What happened up there, Champion?" His apprehensive feeling was confirmed, when Hawke grinned broadly.
"The duke took a dive down the mountainside on his tame wyvern." Her expression was almost feral. "The party didn't go quite as planned."
Cullen was too shocked to answer and watched in stunned silence as she said goodbye to Tallis.
"It's getting late, Tabs." Isabela smiled affectionately at her lover. "Let's see if there's room at the inn for tonight, shall we?"
"Good idea." Hawke motioned for them to follow.
Bethany had stayed quiet all through the conversation. There were deep blue shadows under her eyes, and she was swaying slightly in the saddle. Carefully, Cullen manoeuvred his horse next to hers.
"Are you alright, Bethany?" He looked her over, trying to assess whether she was wounded. But no matter how hard he tried he couldn't help his gaze being drawn to the perfect curve of her breast, her skin so creamy white against the dark red satin, her chest heaving with deep, laboured breaths. Cullen felt a warm flush spread over his cheeks, and a second flare of heat going straight to his groin. Maker, she had no right to be so beautiful, so enticing!
"I'm fine. Thanks, Cullen." She was smiling again. And the sound of his name coming from her lips was doing things to his heart that he tried hard not to analyze.
"Come on. It's almost dark." Tabby sounded impatient, and with a sigh, Cullen spurred his horse into a quick trot. It seemed he was in for another night at the Wyvern.
Sorry this is so short - just a transitory chapter before we get to the last one.
Many thanks to zevgirl for all her help with this!