A/N: As always, thanks so much for the lovely reviews! I always look forward to hearing from you. To those of you who are new – thank you so much for favouriting/following! I really appreciate it :)
Let's jump straight in, shall we?
If Olivia's skin could get any paler, she was almost certain it had when Katherine had blurted out that she was the sister of the two teens that stood before her. Katherine was nearly a double of Olivia's mother; same honey hair, green eyes, and dotting of freckles over her nose that would be endearing if Olivia hadn't been so stunned at the sight next to her. Beside her, her brother Maximilian was a double of Olivia's deceased younger brother Maxwell; raven hair, dark blue eyes, and Cullen knew immediately what had caused such a dramatic and undoubtedly catastrophic reaction in Olivia. She thought she was seeing Max's ghost.
"Max, can you believe it? The Inquisitor is our sister!" came another jovial statement from the honey-haired female, but what jolted Olivia out of the trance she had been in was the gentle grip of her beloved, who had put himself between her and the twins. One of his hands tilted her head up to his sharply, and he spoke firmly. "Olivia. Breathe, my love. It's going to be okay. He's not a ghost. It's not your Max." Behind him, Olivia's father hushed the twins, his eyes on his eldest child as emotion after emotion danced across her face.
The dance began with surprise before transitioning to horror, then to pain, and finally to grief. Bann Trevelyan had the decency to look guilty as he muttered to Cullen, "I'm so sorry Commander; I had no idea -" Cullen whirled around, keeping Olivia behind him as he locked gazes with her father, his tone low and venomous. "No idea what? That she still suffers from those memories? That she labelled herself her brother's killer? The least you could have done was chose a name that didn't resemble that of the brother she lost when she was only a child, considering that he looks exactly like him. Maxwell, Maximilian. Honestly. Though I can't say I'm surprised; you cast her out as soon as you discovered she was a mage, so I can understand the lack of compassion for her." The bann paled as the truth of Cullen's words hit home, and Cullen ignored him as he turned his attention back to Olivia, trying to reassure her as best he could.
The Inquisitor, known for her resilience and her strength, not to mention her resolve, stood before him as a quivering young girl, her arms having instinctively wrapped around herself when Cullen had turned; she had withdrawn into herself despite Cullen's reassurances that it wasn't Max's ghost. Her eyes were blank, almost as if she had fallen victim to the memories that still plagued her, and Cullen's heart ached painfully. "I didn't mean to...Max..." was all she mumbled, shaking her head violently as her eyes fixated on her teenage brother, unsure if this was a horrible trick, hallucination or reality being cruel to her. "I know, darling. It was just an accident. It's alright. You're alright." Cullen murmured, pulling her to him as he wrapped his arms around her trembling frame. He waited with baited breath for a brief moment as he rest his lips against the top of her head before he felt Olivia relax within his embrace slightly, her relaxation causing him to huff out a soft breath of relief against her raven hair.
Cullen felt utterly helpless as he held his beloved; he'd only seen Olivia this panicked once before, and that had been the night she had spilled everything of her history to him. "Sister?" a soft baritone sounded from Olivia's left, and she automatically turned her head toward the sound, confusion and apprehension altering her usually stoic expressions as the figure of Maximilian Trevelyan stood at her side with a gentle hand resting on her forearm. At his touch, Olivia stiffened, and Maximilian offered her a sad smile before he spoke softly, speaking words that Cullen knew would bring either almost instant relief or fresh pain to the suffering mage he held. "Mother told me what happened. Please know that no one blames you. It was an accident; a silly accident. You never meant to harm Max; you would never have hurt him on purpose. I hope that these words bring you some sense of comfort- I know I can never replace him, but I would like a place in your life as family, if you will accept me."
To everyone's astonishment, a smile pulled at the corner of Olivia's red painted mouth after a moment of tense silence, and she looked at her brother with a kindness reserved only for those closest to her as she held him at arms length for a brief moment. "I know, Max. Forgive me." Before anyone could react, Olivia gently pulled her younger brother toward her and Cullen, enveloping him in an embrace that had Bann Trevelyan clearing his throat of emotion. Cullen smiled faintly as well knowing that Olivia had finally found some peace in the arms of her youngest sibling, and Katherine threw a hand up against her mouth as tears raced down her cheeks. She had been told of the incident as well, and it burned her to know that Olivia had been instantly shunned by both of their parents; they'd denied she even existed until Max had stumbled across a group of nobles talking of her exploits in Val Royeux not six weeks past.
Glancing toward Katherine and her father, Olivia extended a hand toward her sister, and was rewarded when the honey-haired female raced into the embrace wordlessly, flinging her arms around Olivia tightly as a mournful sob broke from her lips, causing Olivia to embrace her tighter still. With another smile, Olivia coaxed Cullen into the hug as well, and closed the circle on her small family, as well as finally shutting the door to her past.
When she released both Katherine and Max a short time later, she laughed softly as she discovered silent tears spilling down both of her ivory cheeks in addition to the tears Katherine had been shedding for a time. Brushing them away mindlessly, she leaned into Cullen as her siblings smiled at the two of them; the nobles had been right, they made a striking and powerful couple. A cough from her father reminded them that they were not alone, and Olivia's expression turned dark as she regarded her father with disdain. "How long were you going to keep this from me? Or did you plan on keeping me in the dark forever? How gleeful was Mother when she had two more children under her thumb, neither with magical gifts?"
Bann Trevelyan held up his hands as Olivia verbally accosted him, Cullen gently pulling Max and Katherine aside, neither of the teenage Trevelyans speaking up in their father's defense. "I was planning on telling you as soon as they were born, but your mother...Liv, you know what-" Cullen groaned inwardly and braced himself for what he knew was coming, and sure enough, Olivia exploded a short second later. "Liv? No, you don't get to use that endearment with me! You helped her throw me into a guest room until the Templars came! You never wrote, not once in all the years I was in the Ostwick circle! I was a child, for Maker's sake; I was confused and completely terrified!" Her voice rose higher and higher with each sentence, and her eyes darkened with rage.
"How dare you try to make nice with me after nearly twenty years! Twenty! You never once, in all that time, acknowledged you had another daughter, did you? I'll bet you and Mother both spouted nonsense about how Max and I were murdered by bandits in order to cover my existence and your tracks! I will never forgive you for what you have done, despite alerting me to the fact I have siblings. You are unwelcome in my presence, my lord, and the Inquisition will have none of your coin or offerings." She shrieked as she shook her head angrily, causing a few strands of her hair to fall loose. "I came here of my own volition, and I will be leaving of it as well." She spat, throwing her hand up angrily in a gesture of dismissal before she turned to Katherine and Max, her expression softening considerably as she regarded her siblings, drawing each of them in for a gentle embrace before stepping back again. "You are both welcome to visit me in Skyhold at any time, without the need to write for permission. Just alert the gate guards to whom you are, and ask for either myself or the Commander." Both of the teenage Trevelyans nodded at her with small smiles, and without a backwards glance at her father, Olivia took the arm of her beloved and vacated the premises.
When she and Cullen reached the gates, Darius stood by with both of their horses, having heard the bulk of the confrontation between her father and herself. "Master Darius, if you ever wish to leave the employment of Bann Trevelyan, you are also welcome at Skyhold." Olivia spoke softly before she embraced her old caretaker, a smile cracking the old man's complexion, "Thank you, my darling Liv. I shall take your offer gladly, and will see you in Skyhold as soon as I am able to make the journey." With a smile at Darius, Olivia swung easily up into her horse's saddle, glancing over at her waiting commander. "Let's go home." She murmured easily, earning herself a smile from the golden-haired warrior before they both nudged their horses forward, putting the Trevelyan estate at their backs.
News of the spat between Olivia and her father preceded their arrival to Skyhold, and as soon as Olivia had dismounted from Perseus, Josephine was at her side wearing a thunderous expression. "What in the Maker's name have you done, Olivia?" She demanded, her accented voice dripping venom. "Your father would have been the greatest backing this Inquisition could have-"
"That's enough." Olivia's voice was low and dangerous, her eyes gleaming as she regarded the ambassador at her side. "I declined my father's coin and offerings for several reasons, Ambassador; none of which I will repeat in this courtyard." Her words were cold and harsh, and the look that passed on Josephine's face would have made anyone believe the Inquisitor had just slapped her; she might as well have. Opening and closing her mouth, Josephine made to say something before wisely deciding to leave the conversation at that, turning on her heel and walking back to her office wordlessly.
Olivia blew out a sigh as her shoulder's slumped, her hands resting against the soft Orlesian saddle that the black stallion wore. Cullen, who had stood silent at her back during the entire exchange, leaned down to softly press his lips to the barren skin of Olivia's shoulder, smiling faintly as some of the tension dissipated almost instantly at the contact. "Go to her. I'll take care of Perseus and Ares." He murmured, and she nodded slightly before she walked toward the ambassador's office, scuffing her boots against the gravel of the pathways.
She murmured a few pleasantries to the nobles who were brave enough to approach her while she scowled, and she inclined her head in acknowledgement as Varric, Solas, and Dorian all greeted her quietly. They had heard the carrying on in the courtyard upon her arrival, and wisely chose not to ask her of it. Cassandra greeted her on her way out of the Undercroft, and Olivia offered a wry smile in return.
Drawing in a breath as she approached Josephine's office door, she knocked twice before pushing it open and stepping inside, allowing it to swing shut soundlessly behind her. "Before you light into me again, Josie, just listen." She began, silencing the ambassador almost instantly with a look that radiated pain. For the next hour and a bit, Olivia recanted everything that had occurred at the Trevelyan estate beginning from when she was a small child, not skipping a single detail about anything; not even the troubles she had wrought in the Ostwick Circle. When she finished, she was trembling and Josephine's face was ashen, a mix of horror and sadness etched into her soft brown eyes. "Olivia, I'm so sorry...If I hadn't been so quick to judge..."
Olivia silenced her with a hand. "No, it's alright. You didn't know; no one other than myself, Cullen, the twins, my old caretaker, and now you know exactly what happened in that room. I would prefer to keep it that way; but yes, that is why I declined both the coin and the offerings. I want nothing to do with that family other than my siblings." Josephine nodded, her expression shifting back to a diplomatic one. "If you wish, Inquisitor, I can request that Lord and Lady Trevelyan are relocated here to Skyhold; it may give you some peace of mind to have them near you and away from your father, from the sounds of things."
Olivia offered her a grateful smile. "That would be welcome, Josie; thank you." She rose from her position in the chair opposite the ambassador's broad desk, her movements jilted due to exhaustion. "If you'll excuse me, I am going to marry my bed for a couple of days. If Cullen comes asking, please let him know where I am." When she received a warm smile and a nod as acknowledgement from Josephine, Olivia left the office and hooked an immediate left toward the door leading to her quarters.
She ascended the stairs easily enough, grateful that no one had tried to garner her attention in the brief moment she was in the main hall. Once she opened the door to her quarters, she made a beeline for her bed, flinging herself onto the soft mattress without shucking any of her armour and emitting a moan of delight as she finally allowed herself to relax.
A soft chuckle from near her desk alerted her to her beloved's presence, and she raised her head to shoot him a look of 'Don't you dare say a thing'. He returned the expression with a boyish smile, having already changed his armour into something more comfortable; a pair of soft beige linen pants that hung low on his hips and a dark red shirt made of the same linen, the colour bringing out the amber in his eyes and the gold of his hair.
Wordlessly, he padded over to where she lay sprawled across the mattress, his skilled hands deftly undoing the buckles and laces to her armour, removing it swiftly and setting it aside on the armour stand beside the bed. Once Olivia was in her simple linen tunic and pants, Cullen pinned her beneath him as he straddled her backside. Olivia's muffled protest soon transitioned into a groan of pleasure as Cullen began to knead at her back, his hands massaging the muscles in soft circles. "Dear Maker that feels amazing..." Olivia breathed, causing Cullen to laugh softly as he pressed a kiss between her shoulder blades, never ceasing his movements. "I'm glad you're enjoying it; it's the least I could do, considering the nonsense you've had to deal with."
Olivia rolled her eyes behind her closed eyelids, making Cullen laugh again as she mumbled something incoherent about stuffy noble functions. A short time later, when Cullen had succeeded in turning ninety percent of her to jello, Olivia felt him settle into the mattress alongside her, absent-mindedly skimming a hand over her back. A comfortable silence settled over the two of them as they lost themselves to a world of thoughts apiece; a silence that was broken a few moments later by Olivia as she murmured a grateful, "Thank you..." The words were so soft that Cullen barely heard, but he smile when he discerned what she had said. "What are you thanking me for?" He asked gently, unsure of the answer he would receive.
"For accepting me and my ghosts." She eventually answered, turning her face toward him after a moment, her blue eyes travelling over his face before they settled onto his amber gaze. She saw the scar at the corner of his mouth twitch as he smiled and returned the expression with one of her own before Cullen responded. "You're worth it; all of it. I wouldn't trade any of this for anything. I am hopelessly in love with you, Olivia Trevelyan; you and all of your ghosts." Olivia smiled warmly as a flush crept into her cheeks, and she murmured a response to him before exhaustion finally claimed her. "I'm hopelessly in love with you too, Cullen Rutherford."
As Olivia dreamed deeply, Cullen held her tightly, his troublesome thoughts consuming him for several hours until he too, finally succumbed to the Fade's beckoning call, his final thoughts before darkness enveloped being that of the raven haired mage he cradled.
A/N: And that's that! Hopefully you all enjoyed Olivia coming to terms with her past, as well as accepting both Katherine and Maximilian into her life even despite the shortcomings she's had over her twenty four years.
In the next chapters, we'll be covering the ball at Halamshiral as well as Olivia finally managing to coerce Cullen into coming into the field with her! :3 Exciting stuff!
DARK-EVIL-GODS21: Right? Poor Olivia! At least she has finally come to terms with Max's death being an accident! [and I got to use your suggestion of bringing Max back in some way instead of using an envy demon, though I have no doubt she'll encounter another eventually! :p]
HERALDCMDR: I am indeed writing a sequel! :3 And aww, I love you as well! I'm so glad you're excited for it! I'm really enjoying writing it, so I hope it is as well-received as Pretender has been!
As always, please favourite follow and review! I'll see you lovelies in the next chapter!