Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age.

Forbidden Love

Chapter 21

Thanks to Moonie for being my beta reader. Please enjoy this new chapter.

After leaving the Gallows, Ashlynne headed straight to the Hanged Man to speak to Varric. Isabela was already at the bar, laughing and drinking. The bar was still pretty empty because it was not even midday yet. Varric's door was open and Ashlynne walked right in. Her friend was sitting at his desk, probably working on his stories. He looked up when he heard footsteps.

"Good morning, Hawke. What can I do for you?" Varric smiled at the mage. Ashlynne put a hand over her heart.

"Varric, I am hurt!" Ashlynne said dramatically. "Why do you only think I am just here because I need something? I could be here for just a visit." Varric raised an eyebrow at her.

"Hawke, you never come for a visit in the middle of the day. What is going on?" Varric questioned. Ashlynne sat down in a chair before the desk and faced the dwarf.

"Well, something major has changed in my life."

"Are you expecting?" Varric asked cautiously.

"No. Not yet anyway."

"What do you mean by not yet?"

"Well, Knight Commander Meredith has decided to send Knight Captain Cullen to live with me and watch my every move." Ashlynne informed her friend with a bright smile. Varric stared at her in disbelief.

"Is this a joke?"

"No. Cullen came by my house this morning to tell me this."

"Why has she decided this?"

"According to Cullen, she made the decision based on her fears of me and my kind, but her 'official' reasoning was because of my new station as the Champion of Kirkwall, she is afraid all of the power will go to my head. So she decided to assign a Templar to be my constant guard." Ashlynne explained.

"But why Cullen?"

"That's because she can't trust anyone else right now."

"So what do you need from me?"

"Well, I need people to build a door between my mother's old bedroom and mine. The bathing chamber is between the bedrooms, but if there is a door from the other room, it will give Cullen direct access to my room if need be. And I also need your advice on how to break the news to the rest of our friends because Cullen will be going on all of our missions now."

"All right, first, whose idea was the door, yours or Cullen's?"

"It was Meredith's, actually, but I won't deny that there are other more pleasurable ideas I plan to test out after it's installed and Cullen has moved in." Ashlynne chuckled. "It will also help keeping our relationship a secret from my servants."

"Maybe, I will send a stone mason over in the morning to build you your door and anything you might need for your Templar's arrival. As for telling our friends, for most, it won't be a problem and they will understand, but I worry about Anders. I think it would be best if you told him alone to give him time to get used to the idea. You can inform the rest tonight at the Wicked Grace game." Varric finished.

"I will go talk to him after I am done here." Varric looked at her seriously then.

"Ash, I hope that you know that this sort of thing would have never happened if you had not been the Champion. You and Cullen need to be very careful about your actions when you are not inside your bedroom. If the Knight Commander hears anything she shouldn't, she will lock you up so fast and you would probably never see Cullen again. Don't even let our friends suspect that there is something more between you two than friendship." Ashlynne looked grim for a moment as she was reminded how bad the consequences would be for both of them if they we're caught.

"Varric, I think I am pretty well aware of the consequences, but thank you for the reminder. I have waited too long to have any sort of life with Cullen to screw it up now. We will be careful, I promise."

"I think that should go for children as well, unless you want to it to be known that you are having my love child." Varric teased. Ashlynne rolled her eyes. The dwarf could never stay serious for long. She rose to her feet.

"Better watch it, Varric, you and Cullen do have the same coloring, so I might just use that information to cover my ass. Well, I am going to go break the news to Anders, so wish me luck."

"Don't leave his ass on ice for too long." Varric said as Ashlynne walked out the door.

"You can come out now." He said after the mage's footsteps faded away. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, Isabela emerged from the shadows around the door. "And what can I do for you, Isabela?"

"You can tell me what is going on between Hawke and Cullen."

"I have no idea to what you are referring to." Varric replied, trying his best to lie. Isabela just gave him a knowing look. "You couldn't just forget what you just heard, could you?"

"Come on Varric, you know me better than that, especially when it comes to Hawke. Now, are you going to tell me what is going on between Hawke and Cullen or am I going to have to start gossip based on what I heard?"

"How do I know that you aren't just going to take what I tell you and spread it around anyway?"

"You don't, but there is only one way to find out." Varric sighed and Isabela just chuckled.

"Well, Hawke is married to Knight Captain Cullen and..." So, Varric reluctantly told Isabela everything he knew about Ashlynne's relationship with Cullen.

Isabela was too shocked to say anything or make a joke when Varric had finished his tale. She knew Varric well enough to know the story wasn't just one of his made up ones. It was all too shocking not to be true anyway.

"That is just about everything. Hawke came here today to tell me that Knight Commander Meredith has decided that she needs constant watching by a Templar and she's assigned Cullen to the task. He will have to live with her, with his bedroom directly connected to hers." Varric explained. Isabela just burst out laughing at the irony of the whole situation.

"Meredith doesn't know what she has really done, does she?" Isabela said, still laughing.

"No, but she must never know, Isabela. Hawke is going to murder me when she finds out I told you. Isabela, you cannot ever let anyone know, even the rest of our friends the truth nature of Hawke and Cullen's relationship."

"How did you find out about their true relationship?" Isabela questioned.

"I knew something was going on with her so I pulled the truth from her." Varric replied.

"Well, I promise that no one will hear it from me." Varric raised an eyebrow at that statement. "What? I am very good at keeping secrets when I want to be."

"What's so different about this time? This isn't the first time you have learned a secret about Hawke and then told everybody you came in contact with." Varric reminded his fellow rogue.

"This time is different because I want Hawke to be happy and I don't want to be the one to ruin that for her." Isabela explained. Varric smiled with approval.

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