"Tell me one thing, Commander; are you ever going to have that damned roof of yours fixed? I mean, do you like having it rain and snow on you as you sleep?"
I look up from perusing the day's schedule and grin widely at Evelyn, who is perched on the edge of my desk and brushing her hair.
"Seeing as I haven't exactly been spending much time in my own bed these past few months, I hardly think it matters," I reply cheekily.
She rolls her eyes and sets her brush down.
"I'm serious, Cullen," she says. "You spend your nights here when I'm away, do you not? What if you were to catch cold, or worse, a fever? We are in the middle of the mountains, in case you've forgotten. I nearly froze to death last night if you weren't there to keep me warm. Maker knows how you manage on your own."
I set my schedule down and reach over to gently pull her off the desk and onto my lap.
"Would you like me to keep you warm even now, my lady? I'd only be too happy to oblige," I growl teasingly into her ear. She laughs as I softly kiss the corner of her jaw, my stubble lightly scratching against her smooth skin.
"You are impossible, you know that?" she sighs and closes her eyes as I continue to move my lips down to her neck.
"Am I, now?" I grin against her skin, closing my eyes as I press my nose against her neck and inhale deeply. She sighs again, and I feel her slightly go limp in my arms.
A knock emanates from outside my office door, and I growl in response, tightening my arms around Evelyn when I feel her start and sit up.
"What is it?" I call out grumpily.
"I have a message from Knight-Commander Conrad, Ser," a soldier calls out.
My eyes glance up at Evelyn, who looks down at me and shrugs her shoulders.
"Just a moment, Cullen," she says as she slides away from me and walks towards the door.
"Inquisitor!" the soldier salutes when he sees her standing before him. "Knight-Commander Conrad has asked to see you before he returns to the White Spire, Your Worship."
"Where is he?" she asks.
"In the main hall, Your Worship. He was having his breakfast when he spoke to me."
"All right," she nods. "I will be there shortly."
She closes the door and turns back to me with an apologetic smile.
"I'd better go see him before he leaves," she says.
I try my utmost best to control my seething emotions and keep my face and voice as calm as possible.
"Of course," I nod at her, rising up from my seat and walking around the desk towards her. I snake my fingers through her hair and lean down for a tender kiss.
"Why don't you come with me?" she asks after parting her lips from mine.
"You...wouldn't prefer saying your goodbyes on your own?" I slightly raise my brow.
"I'd prefer having you by my side," she responds. "As a reminder, if nothing else."
"A reminder?" I blink. "Why? Has he tried anything?"
If he so much as laid a finger on her, Maker help me-
"No, of course not," she chides. "Do you honestly think I would have kept quite about it if he did? No, it's just that... the way he talks and looks at me... it's clear he's hoping to rekindle what we had. Even though that fire has been long extinguished. And that bothers me."
I feel my jaw clench, and my fists would have followed suit were my hands not delicately cradling Evelyn's face.
"So will you come?" she asks hopefully.
My features soften as I look down at her.
"Of course," I smile and kiss her softly.
"All right," she pulls away from me and exhales loudly. "Let's get this over with, shall we?"
Arm in arm, we cross the battlements and the deserted rotunda and step into the main hall, which is still bustling with chattering Inquisition members and nobles over breakfast. I scan the hall for a sign of the Knight-Commander, but Evelyn spots him first, steering me towards where he stood talking to Cassandra in the spot usually occupied by Varric.
"Ah, Evelyn," he turns away from the Seeker and smiles as we approach him, his blue eyes regarding Evelyn as though she is the only soul in the room. I know that look all too well—it is precisely the way I feel whenever she is within my vicinity.
"Conrad," she smiles, keeping her arm wrapped firmly around mine. That does not deter the man from taking her free hand and bringing it up to his lips, his gaze fixed on her face as he kisses it.
I instantly feel my blood boil, and the only thing that deters me from reacting adversely is the displeased expression I see on Evelyn's features.
"Forgive me, Commander, but may I speak to the Inquisitor in private?" he straightens up and smiles pretentiously at me. I notice Cassandra crossing her arms across her chest and regarding the Templar with suspicion.
I glance down at Evelyn, who has looked up at me as she awaits my response.
"We shall remain here in the hall," he continues when I do not respond. "Just right there by the entrance."
"Certainly," I nod firmly and very reluctantly slide my arm away from Evelyn's. I meet her gaze, trying to gauge her thoughts on this unpleasant request, and I give her a small nod when she smiles reassuringly at me before following Conrad to the main hall's entrance.
"I am not quite sure what to make of him," Cassandra says, her eyes following the Knight-Commander like a hawk.
I keep my eyes trained on them as well, watching their every move as they converse. It is clear from Evelyn's body language—the crossed arms and deliberate placement of herself several feet away from him- that she is not too happy with Conrad's request for privacy, but the daft idiot does not seem to grasp the message. Either that, or he is being wilfully ignorant of her discomfort, a notion that infuriates me even more.
"What's going on here?" I hear Dorian call out cheerfully from behind us. He places a hand on my shoulder as he joins us. "Oh, the Inquisitor's other Templar. Well, this should be interesting."
My scowl deepens, and I nearly let out a disgusted snarl when I notice the bastard slowly edging closer to her.
"I see our dear Inquisitor is in high demand," Dorian comments with amusement as he watches the pair of them. "I dare say I would have been in direct competition with you, Commander, were it not for my preferences."
"Thank the Maker for small miracles," I mutter wryly, my eyes narrowing as Conrad inches even closer to her.
Has he no sense of personal space?
"I must ask, is it customary for Templars to stand so close to people when conversing?" Dorian asks. "Part of your training? Or is it—Oh!"
I stare, my eyes widening in disbelief as I see the scene play out before my eyes in slow motion.
He is kissing her.
He has literally just taken that one final step closer and is kissing her.
Suddenly, all sound is muffled in my ears, almost as though I have been immersed under water. I barely hear Dorian and Cassandra gasping, and I make my way towards the man, forcefully shrugging off my companions' arms as they attempt to hold me back.
I am blinded by rage.
Absolutely blinded.
I see Evelyn slapping him hard across the face, and, in an automatic, unthinking fashion, I swing my arm at him, my fist landing hard and squarely against his jaw. So hard and violent is the force of my strike, it sends him falling to the ground, the sound of his armour clanking deafeningly against the stone floor.
"Cullen!" Evelyn gasps in shock. But I barely hear her. I am already advancing towards him again, my fists clenched hard as I prepare to aim another strike at him.
"Commander, stop!" Cassandra commands me sternly, her arms clutching at my right arm and pulling me back. Dorian quickly joins her in subduing me by holding back my left arm.
I struggle against their hold, my eyes glaring venomously at the pathetic bastard as he recovers from my strike, stumbling back up onto his feet with his hand clutching at his jaw.
"Relax, Curly, this isn't worth it!" I hear Varric call out from somewhere behind me.
The blood pounds in my ears, drowning out their voices.
I struggle to yank my right fist free of Cassandra's grasp when I see him lunge towards me, but I stop when I see Cassandra's fist flying at his face in my stead and aiming her own strike at him, throwing him off his feet in the sheer brutality of her strength.
"Cassandra!" Solas throws himself into the commotion and restrains her too. Dorian quickly takes hold of my freed right arm and pins it behind me alongside my left.
"Conrad, leave," Evelyn demands furiously. She turns on him menacingly when he merely continues to glare at me, his eyes challenging me to strike at him again. "I said leave," she snarls. "Now."
He watches me, his breathing as heavy as mine, before he reluctantly slides his gaze away from me to meet Evelyn's glare instead.
"I—I am sorry, my lady," he murmurs before swiftly turning on his heel and descending the staircase.
I feel Dorian loosen his grip on me before completely letting me go and stepping back to give me some space.
"Cullen," Evelyn turns away from the entrance and quickly approaches me, forcing my gaze away from the staircase when she gently tilts my face down towards her. I stare at her, my breathing and heart rate still racing in my chest.
"I—forgive me," I finally mutter, softening under her touch. "I don't know what came over me."
"I do," Dorian says from behind me. "A man just kissed your lover and you reacted in the only way you could. Quite simple, really."
Evelyn shoots him a reproachful look before turning back to me.
"Are you all right?" she asks me softly, her brow knit with concern.
"I am," I nod, my eyes still flickering towards the staircase in case the ass dared show his face again.
I only realise then that the entire main hall has fallen silent, with every eye staring at the scene of the commotion.
"Woo, Cullen!" Sera catcalls from her place at the dining table. "General uptight just showed Templar-fuck who's boss! Serves him right, that worthless bag of shit balls."
I rub the back of my neck, feeling incredibly uncomfortable under the scrutiny.
"All right, move along, people, nothing to see here," Varric calls out to the halted crowd. Slowly, they start diverting their eyes away and returning to whatever it was they were doing before the spectacle transpired.
"You all right, Curly?" Varric asks gently.
I nod my head impatiently, letting my hand fall away from my neck.
"I'm fine, Varric," I snap.
"Come on," Evelyn slips her hand into mine and gently tugs me in the direction of my office. "Let's get you out of here."
I allow her to lead me away from the hall, my eyes purposely averting the gaze of anyone we pass by on our way.
One of my greatest fears is losing control of myself. Especially in Evelyn's presence.
And I will not lie to myself and pretend that my lyrium withdrawal did not play a significant part in my enraged reaction today.
We step into my office, and Evelyn lets go of my hand to shut the door behind us. I stride over to my desk, placing my palms on the surface and leaning heavily against it.
"Forgive me," I close my eyes and apologise weakly. "I-I should have handled myself better, I know that."
She approaches me and gently moves my left arm away from the desk before slipping into the narrow space between it and my body. Her fingers gently glide through my curls repeatedly, causing me to sigh and rest my forehead against hers as I take in deep, deliberate breaths.
"He deserved it," she responds curtly before her lips break into a smile. "And Cassandra clearly thought so too."
I let out a weak chuckle and bring my palms to her cheeks before I press my lips against hers.
"You're still shaking," she remarks, placing her hands over mine and taking them away from her face. She slips away from me and leads me towards the ladder, my hands still in hers, and she lets go of them only to climb up to my bed chamber. I eagerly follow suit, my eyes shamelessly lingering on her backside as she gracefully moves up the ladder and climbs onto the landing.
As soon as I emerge onto the landing myself, she reaches her hands out towards me and begins to unfasten my armour and clothing. Excitement pumping through me, I slide my hands to her blouse and move to unfasten the delicate buttons, but she brushes my hands away and shakes her head with a smile. I look at her in bewilderment and mild amusement as she continues to undress me until my upper body is left completely nude, but leaves my lower body clothed and untouched.
"Lie down," she nods at the bed. I raise my brow at her before obeying her command and resting my back onto the mattress.
"On your front," she clarifies with a smile as she joins me on the bed. My eyebrows rise yet again, and I flip onto my front, resting the side of my face on my pillow. A wide smile creeps across my lips when I feel her slide over my hips and straddle me from behind.
"Is this an attempt at making me feel better?" I ask in a deep, easy voice.
"Maybe," she responds coyly. I close my eyes and groan when I feel her hands apply some gentle pressure onto my back and slide up to my shoulders, where she starts squeezing gently, instantly loosening the knots of tension built up all along my muscles. "Is it working?"
I groan louder in response, burying my face into my pillow. My breathing hitches when I feel a cool, soothing energy radiating into me, and I tense involuntarily when I realise that the cold is emanating from Evelyn's fingers.
"Is this all right?" she asks me gently, her hands pausing against my skin.
"Yes," I breathe, relaxing into my pillow again.
Of course it is.
It goes without saying that I trust her with my life implicitly.
She resumes her massage, chuckling lightly when I let slip a blasphemous phrase as her fingers loosen a particularly tender knot in my upper back.
All the while, she alternates between cool and warm magic, making me absolutely melt beneath her soothing touch and sink into my mattress.
"Maker, where in Thedas did you learn this?" I gasp as her fingers work down to my lower back.
"You tend to pick up a few things from other mages when you're cooped up in a Circle all your life," she responds softly.
"Mmmm," my eyes roll into the back of head as she clenches her hands into fists and presses them heavily against my spine.
"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" she laughs, the heavenly sound tugging my lips into a weak smile.
"That would be a vast understatement," I manage to mumble, my words almost incoherent in my lax state.
"Is it better than sex, even?" she purrs over me.
The bed shakes beneath us as I chuckle at her question.
"Nothing can ever compare to making love to you, my love," I murmur lazily.
She giggles at my response as her hands continue to work their magic (quite literally) on my back.
My eyes fly open when I feel her slide away from me, and I rapidly turn around to see where she's gone.
"Relax, I'm still here," she laughs, now sitting on her knees beside me. "Lay your head on my lap."
Relief rushing through me, I hastily move to re-position myself, smiling up at her as my head rests heavily against her thighs.
"This will help with your headaches," she murmurs, placing her fingers against my temples. I close my eyes and sigh audibly as I feel her cool magic radiate into my head, soothing the dull, ever-present pain unlike any manner I had ever experienced before.
"Maker's breath..." I breathe as her fingers lightly press against my temples in a slow, circular motion.
"Is the cold too much?" she asks.
I open my eyes ever so slightly and meet her warm gaze.
"It's perfect," I reply with a weak smile. "You're perfect."
She beams at me, the expression instantly brightening her beautiful face.
A few moments of bliss pass, the comfortable silence only broken by my low groans of pleasure.
"Evelyn?" I mumble sleepily, feeling myself gradually slip into unconsciousness.
"Yes, Cullen?"
I struggle to open my eyes, but my eyelids feel as heavy as lead.
"I love you."
She does not respond instantly, but even with my eyes closed, I know she is smiling.
"I love you too," I hear her fading voice drift into my ear before I finally give way to slumbering oblivion.