Her broken arm had been set and she longed to scratch beneath the tight bindings that held her limb in place. It was hot and bothersome, but she knew he would have her head if she chose to mess with them. Her wound had been cleaned and stitched, though the skin was still tender to the touch and caused her constant discomfort. She was lucky that nothing had been punctured; the Healer had chided her as though she had willingly thrown herself onto the abomination. The good news was that she would make a full recovery, save for the limited range of her arm once it healed. That news pleased Cullen though it did little to lessen his worry.

He had granted himself a temporary leave to dedicate his time to tending to Elena despite her constant reassurance that she would be just fine. He had convinced himself that she would keel over at any given moment and every hiss of pain sent him into a frenzy that usually lasted for a good half hour or more. She supposed it was endearing to know that he cared so much, but his constant attention made her feel like a nuisance more often than not. She was wounded, not on her death bed. At least, not anymore.

She sat now in the garden, watching a butterfly investigate the newest addition to the flowerbed. It landed for a moment on a fat green stem before finding a new perch on a silky yellow petal. This was the most excitement she saw now that she was all but bed ridden and it made her feel like nothing more than an invalid. She itched to be back in action, or at least doing something that made a difference. She had come to help and she had yet to do so. The Inquisitor was still sitting on the fate of the Wardens and her stomach churned at the very thought of the outcome. The woman could destroy them in an instant, or she could grant them the opportunity to redeem themselves. Would she, after what they had done? It was all too unpredictable for her liking.

Elena exhaled and rubbed at the back of her neck with her good hand, looking up as someone settled onto the bench beside her. "You should be in bed," she could feel his disapproving stare and she rolled her eyes.

"Cullen, I am not as fragile as you seem to think. I needed some air. I hadn't realized I wasn't allowed to take a little walk," she responded shortly, looking away from him and following the path of the butterfly as it took flight once more, abandoning the flower bush altogether. So much for that, she thought bitterly. It drifted lazily up towards the Heavens and out of sight, giving her nothing else to focus her attention on.

"Of course you're allowed to take a walk. But what if something happened to you? What if you tripped and fell?"

"It would not be the first time I've tripped and fallen over my own two feet. I would be fine. I don't understand why you're so−"

"Because I held you in my arms and watched you die!" The pain and sorrow in his voice shattered her heart into a thousand pieces and she looked away out of shame. "So would it be too much to ask for you to just humor me for a while longer?" He was looking away now too, his expression twisted in frustration and she reached over to place her hand on his thigh.

"I know. I'm sorry. I just...I will be more careful. I promise," it was the least she could do and she swallowed hard as she looked at the flowers again.

"I told you that I wouldn't lose you again and I almost did. I will not put you in harm's way again, under any circumstance. I have spent years cursing myself for not telling you how I felt when I had the chance. But now you're here and Maker be damned, I will not let you go. If you truly wish to travel to Weisshaupt, I will go with you."

"And what about the Inquisition? You cannot just abandon−"

"Damn the Inquisition!" His booming voice echoed throughout the garden and Elena watched a pack of birds take flight in surprise and fear at the outburst. Their wings fluttered frantically and she turned her head slowly to face him, curling her fingers into a fist against his thigh. She opened her mouth to protest before thinking twice and pressing her lips together to keep the words from coming out. She needed an extra moment to compose herself and work through her response.

He would follow her to Weisshaupt? She could not−she would not−let him. His place was here, in Skyhold, and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. The bench was hard and unforgiving beneath her and she ran her tongue thoughtfully across her bottom lip. Her options were few, but she knew what she had to do.

"Then I guess you leave me no choice but to remain here in Skyhold," Elena spoke slowly, forcing herself to maintain eye contact with him as he turned his head to look at her.

"You would do that?" The disbelief caused her to chuckle softly and she nodded. "Are you certain?"

"Cullen Stanton Rutherford, there is nowhere else in Thedas I would rather be than by your side. It only took me a Blight, the fall of the Circle and near death to realize that," she shrugged her good shoulder as his spine straightened and his expression brightened.

"You will be a valuable asset to the Inquisition," he said, adopting the formality and professionalism she had witnessed him exhibit on many occasions and he cleared his throat. His lopsided grin was still visible as he turned away from her to stand, causing her hand to fall away from his leg and land squarely on the cold stone bench. Without warning he leaned down to scoop her into his arms, causing a squeal of protest to rise and fall over her lips.

"Cullen!"

"And when all is said and done, I tend to do things properly," he announced as he cradled her to his chest. Tucking her arm against her side and protecting it against his chest, she tilted her chin to meet his burning gaze. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered helplessly and her mouth went dry. He looked so hungry and she tried to silence the squirming anticipation in her gut. To know that she alone fueled that look was enough to send her over the edge and she bit down on her bottom lip.

"Such as?"

"Such as locking you away in matrimony to avoid any further interruptions. The next Archdemon will have to go through me first," he let out a deep hearty chuckle and she felt it reverberating in his chest as her cheeks flushed. Matrimony?! Elena could have soared clear to the sky had he not been holding her firmly against him. Even though he began to cross the garden to return to her room, his movements never jarred her and she swallowed nervously.

"And what do you intend to do in the meantime, Commander?"

There was a brief pause and she could feel his eyes on her as he nudged the door open with his feet and stepped inside. "Why, all of the improper things, of course."