Cassandra, Josephine, Cullen and Evelyn were waiting in the war room. Max had just arrived back from the Western Approach, and he smiled at Evelyn as he walked in. But there was no time for reunions, Max had returned with dire news.
"The rest of the Wardens and a demon army is massing at the deserted grey warden fortress Adamant," Max explained.
"I will send my scouts ahead to confirm the information, as soon as we hear back from them we should begin to plan our assault," Leliana said.
"Until then try to wrap up as much as you can. We don't know what will happen." Cassandra said sending glances at the couples in the room.
Max nodded, "Alright, we'll have to move quickly when we hear back from the scouts, until then be on your toes."
Everyone left the war room except for Max, who waited, just staring at the map. He then took a breath and walked out towards Josephine's office.
Evelyn was leaning on the battlements overlooking the frozen over river and the camps that lay upon it. Someone walked up beside her, and when she turned to see who it was she was surprised. It was Hawke.
He looked at her and said, "Evelyn right?"
Evelyn nodded, "Hawke?" He nodded.
They stood there in silence for a few moments before Hawke spoke, "You know... I don't recognize you."
"Why should you?" Evelyn asked.
"I spent many years in Kirkwall, and when the circle fell I... well I was in the middle of it, but I didn't see you," Hawke said.
Evelyn smiled at the ground, "Cullen heard Meredith's order to kill everyone and he told me to run, so I did... but I came back to defend the others, not like they were happy to see me." Evelyn shrugged.
"Wait... Cullen let you go?" Hawke asked.
"Yeah, he was always looking out for me. Once Meredith was going to make me Tranquil...
*Flashback*
Cullen was talking with Meredith about what they should do with Samson and Maddox when two other Templars came in, dragging an injured Evelyn behind them.
"Knight-Commander! We received a tip about this one using blood magic and when we tried to question her she attacked us!" One of them cried.
"You didn't come to question me, you came to kill me!" Evelyn shouted.
Cullen was trying not to let his horror show, but he felt sick. She had a gash across her face that was clearly from one of them slapping her, and her neck was bruised from where they had clearly tried to choke her.
"What exactly happened?" Meredith asked.
The other recruit stepped forwards, "We found her in the library and we attempted to escort her to the cells until these claims could be investigated, but then she looked like she was going to use magic."
"How did she look like she was going to use magic?" Meredith asked.
"She... well, uh she looked angry." One of them said.
"Knight Commander, she doesn't use a staff, we can't tell when she's going to do something, and she was giving off aggressive body language." The other added.
Meredith walked up closer to Evelyn, who had started coughing blood, and she looked at her. "So then what happened?" She asked, turning back to the other Templars.
"Then we told her to put down her book and come with us and then she attacked us." One of the men said.
Evelyn let out a chuckle, "Something funny mage?" Meredith asked.
"I'm just surprised this is the story they're going with." She said.
Meredith looked at Evelyn suspiciously, "Take her to the healers," She then turned to Cullen, "Call a meeting of all the senior Templars."
A few minutes later all the senior Templars were present in Meredith's large office.
"I've called you all here to discuss one mage in particular, Evelyn." Meredith started, and Cullen's blood ran cold. "She is a danger to this circle, as you all know, Knight-Captain Cullen has had to stop several violent attacks, and just this morning she attacked two Templars attempting to question her about blood magic."
"That mage has never been any good, she scares the others because they can never tell if she's about to do something!" Aldrich added, and there was a hum of agreement.
"I think we should consider making her Tranquil," Meredith stated. "And it's not like the other mages will care in fact they might even be happy about it." She added and looked around the room, "Captain, what do you think?" She asked Cullen.
"Well it's a bold move, but I'm concerned about the reactions of the other mages," Cullen said, trying to defend her without making it seem obvious.
He had first been assigned to watch Evelyn nearly a year ago, and since then he had found himself falling for her, hard. She wasn't like the other mages in the circle, she wasn't like the mages that had tortured him at Ferelden, and he would do anything for her. But he had to be discrete, if he was thrown out of the order then he wouldn't be able to protect her.
"Why? Do you think they'll be too happy?" Aldrich asked humorously.
"They think she's under our protection, if we show that she can do things worth that level of punishment right under our noses then what's to stop them? The rumor going around that she's been doing blood magic is false, I've been watching too closely. But if we make her Tranquil they'll think it's true, and they'll think she's been doing it right in front of us." Cullen explained.
A murmur went around the room, then Meredith spoke, "That is..." She paused and Cullen awaited her words anxiously, "Regretfully true Captain." She said, and Cullen was extremely relieved, though, he didn't let it show. "I'll need you to watch her even closer, she can never be alone. If she so much as steps out of line she goes to the cells for a week."
"Yes Commander," Cullen said.
"Alright, meeting adjourned," Meredith said.
Cullen made his way to the cells where the healers had taken Evelyn after they had finished, she was curled up in a ball, but looked up as Cullen approached.
"They're going to make me Tranquil aren't they?" Evelyn said, it was dark, so Cullen couldn't see her face, but he could tell by her voice that she was crying.
"No, Meredith wanted to, but I convinced her to reconsider," Cullen told her.
He could her a slightly shocked gasp, "I don't know what I'd do without you."
Cullen looked around to make sure no one else was within earshot, "Evelyn, if anyone tries to do that to you... please don't let them."
*End Flashback*
"Cullen was the only good Templar in the whole of Kirkwall," Hawke said.
"That's very true," Evelyn added.
Hawke and Evelyn spoke for a few minutes more about Kirkwall, then they were interrupted by Varric, "Hawke, I got an angry letter from Fenris here and I- Oh! Hey Shorty, I didn't see you there." He said.
Shorty was Varric's nickname for Evelyn, "Hardy har har." Evelyn fake laughed, "I'm not that short."
"Compared to literally everyone except me, yes you are." Varric said, "Anyway..." He handed Hawke Fenris' letter, and Hawke muttered a thanks before going to find a more private place to read it. "So... why didn't you tell me?" Varric asked Evelyn.
"Tell you what?" Evelyn asked.
"That it was you!" Varric said.
"Well, I don't know, I never thought I would see him again, I wasn't prepared to answer your barrage of questions," Evelyn said, now understanding what he was talking about.
"Oh well, I'm sorry about that. You know me, I can get carried away." Varric said.
"No that's fine, it's all worked itself out hasn't it?" Evelyn said.
"Yeah, so you two are..." Varric trailed off.
"I'm surprised Cassandra hasn't told you," Evelyn said.
"Wait? The Seeker found out before I did?" Varric asked with surprise.
"Well she wasn't supposed to, but she walked in on us kissing so..." Evelyn trailed off and smiled.
Varric laughed heartily, "I can only imagine it." He paused and his face sobered, "How are your arms?" He asked, looking at the cloth wrappings over her wrists and forearms.
"It doesn't really bother me much anymore, I just don't love looking at them all the time," Evelyn said.
"Fair enough," Varric said.
They were standing in silence for a few moments before Cole suddenly appeared to Evelyn's left, and she briefly wondered if she was going to get any peace today.
"Cullen is hurting, wondering about you," Cole said with a sad tone.
"What?" Evelyn asked. She looked at Varric.
"Go kid." He said to her.
She quickly turned and walked towards Cullen's office, when she opened the door to his office she saw that he was hunched over his desk reading a letter attentively.
"Cullen?" She asked to get his attention, he hadn't heard her come in.
"Oh, Evelyn, I didn't hear you," Cullen said.
She walked up to him, "What are you reading?" She asked.
"Maxwell raided Sahrnia quarry today and he found some letters from Samson and... Maddox." Cullen said.
"Wait, Maddox is alive?" Evelyn asked in surprise, she had assumed that he had died in the mess at Kirkwall.
"It seems that Samson rescued him," Cullen said.
"It must be horrible, to have to constantly see him like that," Evelyn said.
"What?" Cullen asked with confusion.
"It must kill Samson to have to interact with Maddox after everything that happened, I don't know why he would put that on himself," Evelyn said.
"Wait... are you saying they were... together?" Cullen asked, "That can't be, Samson was thrown out for smuggling letters from Maddox's sweetheart."
"Those letters were from the Mage Underground, they were written in a code so that if anyone found them they would assume they were from a lover. Samson was trying to get Maddox out." Evelyn said, "You really didn't know this?"
"No, I didn't," Cullen said, still surprised.
Evelyn looked at Cullen closely, "What's on your mind?"
"I just want to find Samson, I'll be a lot less worried when we do." He said.
"Me too," Evelyn said, she kissed his cheek before leaving to speak with Max.
She found him speaking with Scout Harding outside the Heralds Rest, "Of course Inquisitor, I'll have a team up and ready to go by tomorrow." She said before walking off.
"What's going on?" Evelyn asked him.
"I'm just making the arrangements for us to raid Samson's stronghold, we're leaving tomorrow, I was hoping you'd join us," Max said.
"Yeah of course," Evelyn paused, "What's wrong?"
Max sighed, "Josephine's engaged." He said sadly.
"What?" Evelyn asked.
"Her family arranged a marriage, there's... nothing she can do about it," Max said.
"Well, there has to be something you can do! You're the Inquisitor!" Evelyn said.
"There is one thing... I'm having Leliana look into it for me." Max said, "I may be able to duel this fiance for her hand."
Evelyn laughed and then stopped "Wait... are you serious?"
"Yes!" Max cried indignantly.
"This is too good, wait till Varric catches wind of this!" Evelyn said.
"Do not tell Varric! Or anyone actually!" Max demanded.
"Oh I wouldn't worry about me." Evelyn said slyly.
"What is it you're scheming?"
"Oh nothing, I'm just curious to see how you think mother will react to hearing her favorite son and heir to all her land and fortune is going to duel for the right to be engaged to an Antivan ambassador." Evelyn said, and Max's eyes went wide, "I'll let you think on that, although, if it means anything to you, I think what you're doing is very romantic." She added before going off to see Dorian for some very needed down time.
Evelyn didn't knock on the door to Dorian's quarters, because she never did, but today that habit would stop. She was greeted with the sight of a naked Iron Bull and an exasperated Dorian.
"Oh! I'm so sorry." Evelyn said, quickly turning around.
"I'm not! Want to join?" Iron Bull asked her.
"No thanks!" and "Absolutely not!" were shouted at the same time.
"Okay then... I guess I'll put on some pants." Iron Bull said. He quickly clothed himself and left, adding to Dorian on his way out, "Think about it alright?"
"Yes yes..." Dorian said in a shooing manner.
Evelyn looked at him suspiciously, "What's going on here?"
Dorian sighed, "You'll never let me live this down, but... I'm having commitment issues."
Evelyn's face warped into a wicked smile and she said, "But Dorian, he's perfect for you! Clearly you love him!" She said, using his previous words against him.
"Yes well, your relationship started off as a friendship, this one... did not." Dorian said.
"Fair." Evelyn said, "But really, do you like him?"
"Well, yes but there's more to it than that." Dorian said, "I've been thinking about what might come after all this, and I was thinking about possibly returning to Tevinter, maybe taking my fathers seat in the Magisterium and trying to change things for real." Dorian spoke with determination, "But how could I be in a serious relationship with Tevinter's worst enemy while I'm doing that?"
"If it's really something you want then you can make it work." Evelyn said, "And since when have you wanted to return to Tevinter, I thought you still hated your father."
"Yes well, apparently he wants to reconcile, he's sent a retainer to Redcliffe to meet me. I'm not convinced that it's not a trap, but the letter says to meet them there in a few weeks. I was wondering if you' like to come."
"Of course... you really think it's a trap?" Evelyn asked him.
"Not really, but anything's possible." Dorian replied, "Now, enough of this! Let's drink!" He said, returning to his usual flamboyant nature.