chapter 3

present + past

Cullen sighs and looks up from his desk , paper blurring in front of him. Work will not get itself done today and he wonders if he should stop but he doesn't want to otherwise his mind will be free and he will remember. And oh, does he remember.

past:

"How could you? How oculd you do it? " Cullen roars. He glares at the young flowerwoman in the corner,who is cowering, not sure what to do. Her eyeball-less eyes move left and right, the petals in her eyes trembling, shivering with what he presumes is dread.

He never got along with her, finding something strange about her, odd, always hiding near the inquisitor, in the shadows. He can't help but making snide remarks when she's near.- " She cannot speak! She cannot do anythign except be a waste of resources."

He remembers glaring at her in the distance, refusing her presence in the warroom. -" Those who cannot be useful are not allwoed here." He snapped, and shut the door in his face.

Thei 0nquisitor did not speak to him for a week.

He's looking at her, angry, glaring when she drifted to close for his comfort. And then it all came to a head and now he is screaming at her like a madman.

-" What is this ?!" Dorian snaps, pulling Cullen aside." " She.." Cullen points with a harsh movement of his arm towards the creature. " Attacked and possessed a guard, nearly killing him when we were travelling with the inquisitor! My soldiers saw it with their own eyes! The guard in question nearly died!"

True, commander Cullen has never really said anything to her, except offer his opinion. True, in the beginning he wasn't really the most kind to her, preferring to answer with short curt answers or ignore her, but eventually he got used to her presence like everyone else.

But then she nearly killled one of his soldiers, a good man.

"Flower, she killed someone?...Cullen wait!" The inquisitor comes running, heaving a s he stands in front of the commander. " I can explain! It's not what you think! The man was possessed." Cullen blinks stupidly at the inquisitor's words.

" I talked to the soldier. He said he didn't understand the fuss this morning, because she healed him. A demon laid a sickness over him but apparently, she was able to cure him. " Cullen blinks again and then a blush spreads across his cheeks. " UUh."

-" You can go talk to your soldier if you want, he'll tell you the whole story." The inquisitor insists.

" Oh.. right.." The commander is still blushing but then Dorian shrugs goodnaturedly. Perhaps Cullens reaction is understandable. She is after all a strange presence in Skyhold and Cullen cares a lot about his soldiers wellbeing.

By now the flower woman is up and walking slowly and carefully past Cullen.

" I'm sorry." He mumbles. His hand is in his neck, gripping his hair in frustation and then he looks away. Then a soft touch is on his shoulder and he looks up. The flowerwoman has her eyes closed and nods to him.

All is forgiven.