Part 2
Evie

She woke up feeling hazy, and unable to get her bearings. She propped herself up on her elbows, opened her eyes and squinted; the sun was brighter than she would have liked. The slight movement hurt, her ribs, her arms, her back, and even her legs. She let out a low groan of discomfort. She started when she heard something rustle in the room nearby. When she saw him laying on her couch, the night came back to her.

She had gone to the commander's office to review reports, and found he wasn't there. She had decided to wait for him; her body was so sore from the latest missions, she couldn't bring herself to move more than she had to. She had pulled a book off the stacks he had near his desk, and tried to settle into the comfort of his chair. The large gash spanning her upper back made it difficult, as did the chill in the air. Wrapping her shawl a little tighter around her shoulders, she wished Cullen had a blanket handy. She tried to get comfortable, but it was just too chilly for her. How he tolerated that drafty tower, she would never understand. Sighing, she stood again, and tossed to book onto the desk.

Though she hated the idea of invading his private space, Evie climbed the ladder to the lofted sleeping area. Each rung was a feat unto itself, her cuts, bruises and sore muscles arguing with each step. Kidnapping the warmest blanket she could find on his bed, she returned to the chair, picked up the book, she let out a sigh, and settled in.

The next thing she knew was she had just woken up in her own bed, in the same clothes she'd worn to his office, still wrapped in the same blanket, and Commander Cullen Rutherford was asleep on her couch, under the blanket from her bed. She sat up farther, stretching her arms skyward, and arched her back. The injuries she sustained protested, and her body seized in reply. As she did, she noticed a book on her bedside table that hadn't been there previously. She reached for it with as few movements as possible, and noticed a piece of paper peeking out from behind the cover. She recognized the book as the one she had selected from the commander's library the night before. Opening the book, Cullen's elegant script, though it appeared to be hastily written, peered up from a piece of her stationery:

Inquisitor,

Had I known you were back from the Western Approach, I would have stayed to greet you with the others. I wasn't expecting you back for two more days, at least, so I went on a training exercise with the troops, and we arrived back late.

I had been (scratched out words) waiting to see you back in one piece. I overheard something about a High Dragon? We can review reports another time. I've left them on my desk. I want to know how you are doing.

You've selected an excellent read - It's one of my personal favorites. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

- Cullen

Another quiet groan escaped Evie's lips as she laid back down clutching the book and note. The bang of a door in the hallway alerted her that someone was coming. She heard a shuffling up the stairs to her room, accompanied by the sounds of clinking dishes. Leliana's hooded head poked up behind the railing, "Good morning, Inquisitor! You slept through breakfast, so I thought I'd - OH!" As she came around the turn towards the bed, Leliana noticed Evie had company. "Oh Evie! I wouldn't have come up if I had known.. I-"

"No! Maker, no, no. I'm not sure what happened. I... Ow, ow, ow..." She pushed herself up to a sit again, to prove that she was still fully clothed and nothing scandalous had happened. Lowering her voice so not to wake Cullen, she started to recall what had happened the previous night. However, she couldn't explain how she'd ended up back in her room, nor did she know why the leader of the Inquisitions military forces was asleep on her couch. "I will admit, Leliana," Evie whispered to her friend and confidant, "I am not going to complain that he is here. I definitely find him attractive, and fun, and I think we are all aware of how handsome he is." Her voice trailed as she glanced at the sleeping man. " I feel as though he and I are locked in a dance. A flirtatious dance, and we don't know what the next step is."

A knowing smile crept across the Orleasian bard's face. "He worries about you, you know."

"He what?" Leliana set the tray of food on the bedside table, and sat on the bed. "He worries? About me?" Evie was puzzled.

"When you are away. He worries, though he'd never admit it. He intercepts your reports as they come in, or any others from wherever you are, before anyone else can reach the messengers." Leliana grinned.

Evie slowly reached for the tea on the breakfast tray. "I just want things to be normal. I didn't ask for this title or role. The timing of this is just so… It's so bad." She paused for a second before continuing, "I never would have met him if I weren't here. He would have had no reason to come to Ostwick Circle, and were it not for the mage rebellion, I wouldn't have gone to leave for the conclave to try to broker peace. I don't think I can protect everyone, Lil. I feel like I need to protect everyone. Protect him. For some reason, the Maker's Will, Andraste, or poor timing, I don't know, but here I am. And the more I know him… I just… I mean…" She could feel tears starting to well, and a burning sensation growing in her face. She looked down, wiped her eyes, and took a deep breath that got stuck in her throat. "Leliana, I've never felt like this for anyone before."

Leliana put her hand on Evie's shoulder to comfort her friend, but the intended comfort backfired. Her hand landed squarely on top of a bruise, causing Evie to cry out. "Evie, you are very injured. Let me speak with Josephine about clearing your schedule for the next couple of days so you can rest." And with that, Leliana was out of the room.
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