Sorry for the delay in chapter. I hit a bit of a writers block on the next phase of this story. Also, see A/N at the end of the story.
Aiden awoke with a start and began to panic at the unfamiliar surroundings. Then the faint traces of lavender, under a scents left by a night full of love making, hit his senses. And he remembered every moment, every detail from the night before. His body hurt in all the right places, his skin burned from marks left by his wife's nails, but Maker he felt magnificent.
His wife.
He smiled and shifted until his wife's slumbering face came into view. Cassandra slept with her head pillowed on his out stretched arm, a smile playing at her lips. This wonderful, maddening, extraordinary woman was his wife. Aiden ran his thumb over the metal on his left ring finger. A streak of light flashed across it, letting him know that while Cassandra slept, she thought of him.
"You're smiling."
"Your eyes aren't even open." Aiden laughed, his lips pulling up higher. Her little talent always amazed him.
She lifted her lids, "Good morning, my husband."
"G'morning." He leaned down to brush his lips over hers, "My wife."
"We're going to drive everyone crazy with this love sick stuff."
"They can suffer through it." Aiden decided, "I never imagine my life could be like this. And since it is, I'm going to do nothing to hide it."
"I always hoped that I would find love and happiness, but I never gave myself the chance." She placed her palm against his disfigured cheek, "I sure in the hell didn't think it would be with you, but I'm glad the Maker knew better."
Laughing, Aiden gave her one last kiss before slipping out of bed. "I'm starving as I know you must be." He hiked up his leathers to his hips, "Don't move. I'm not done with you."
It was Cassandra's turn to laugh. Like the Inquisitor, her body ached and burned all over. "I'm not sure I could even if I wanted too."
He tossed on the jacket left so carelessly on the floor the night before, started for the door, stopped, and then veered back towards Cassandra for one more kiss. "I love you." Saying those words never felt so good.
"I love you too. Now go get food."
"I'm going."
The moment the door shut, Cassandra let out a happy sigh and rolled to bury her face in her husband's pillow. Husband. The word echoed in her head filling her heart to the brink, it was a wonder it didn't burst. This all seemed like a dream. If she imagined her life like this, in this very moment, when she was that hot headed Seeker, Cassandra would say a desire demon was playing with her mind. For so long, she could never see past the next battle. The next cause. And her life nearly past her by. Hell, if the sky hadn't torn open and started spewing demons, Cassandra wouldn't be here in this bed in the afterglow of a night of love making.
She brought her hand up to examine the ring on her finger. Aiden had told her some time during the night that he had designed it himself, before Adamant. The knowledge nearly brought her to tears like it did then. Aiden wanted to bind himself to her long before his mind altering experience in the fade. Maker, the man even wanted children with her. This was the same man who wanted nothing but to live in the shadows and be by himself a year and a half ago.
A streak of light shot across the metal three times in a row giving Cassandra the indication that Aiden must be making his way up the stairs. Stomach rumbling, she slipped out of bed and rooted through the pile of clothes on the floor for a shirt.
"What do you think you're doing?"
The sudden sound of his voice had Cassandra spinning around on a gasp. Maker! She forgot how quietly he moved at times. "Getting dressed."
"No, you don't." Aiden hastily put the tray of refreshments on the night stand and shot across the room. They wrestled for the shirt until he had her pressed against the dresser, "I told you not to move."
Cassandra made a show of fighting for the piece of clothing before letting him win. She let out a shriek when he lifted her onto the wooden surface, "Aren't you too tried?"
Shaking his head, Aiden rid himself of the jacket, "Nope." Catching her chin with his fingers, he took hold of her bare leg and wrapped it around his slender waist. "Must be the elf part of me."
Cassandra worked the tie of his leathers, "It will take some type of miracle for me to be able to ride a horse any time soon."
"I'm sure they have a potion for that." Aiden capture her lips, swallowing her laughter.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
"Aww man." Varric complained the moment he spotted the newlyweds working their way over to their meal table. He dug into the coin pouch on his hip, "You two made me lose."
Dorian held out his hand, "A body can handle only so much fucking without the aid of potions, my friend." A grin crossed his face, "Trust me I know."
"Too much info, 'Vent." Varric handed over two pieces of gold.
Aiden leaned down to whisper into the Seeker's ear, "Told you."
Her response was an elbow to the gut. She took a seat next to the mage and reached for the jug of wine and cup, "What was the bet?"
"That we wouldn't see you until evening meal." Dorian filled in pulling up another chair for the Inquisitor. "Obviously, our dwarf friend here, has never had a beautiful companion to occupy his time."
"I don't know about that." Aiden took a sip from Cassandra cup earning a slight scowl. He smiled, "I'm sure his crossbow didn't get that name by chance."
"Well…" Varric sat up straighter in his chair, "Speaking of that."
"Oh?" Aiden raised a brow.
"Sorry, Charming. Still ain't going to tell you the story." Varric played with his mug, "I know that you just got married and all, but I have a favor to ask of you."
"Anything, Varric. You know that."
"I've got a lead on where Corypheus got his hands on red Lyrium" The information intrigued everyone at the table. "There is an entrance to the deep road that has human's carting out the stuff by the cart full."
"Who could have given away the location?" Cassandra wondered trying to search the storyteller's face for additional information. The dwarf looked very uncomfortable talking about the subject. "And how did you come by this information?"
Varric ignored the last question, but answered the first, "A few members of the expedition and a few close friends. How isn't important anyways. What is important, is that we know where they are now."
"And that is?" Dorian asked.
"In a series of cave in the Hinterlands." Varric gave this Inquisitor a halfhearted smile, "Not the most romantic place for a honeymoon…"
Aiden waved the thought away with his marked hand, "This needs to be dealt with. As long as he has this source, Corypheus is that much more powerful." His glowing eyes darkened for a moment, "After seeing his hold on the Wardens, we can't let him gain any more followers for him to control."
Hearing his voice shake, Cassandra laid a hand over his scarred one, "I couldn't agree more."
"We shall leave first thing in the morning." Aiden announced, "Has Cullen returned to the men?"
Dorian nodded, "I will send a raven to inform him of the plan."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Varric was right. The Hinterlands wasn't the picture perfect place for a honeymoon. And neither was being covered in dirt, grim, blood, and an assortment of other things. Cassandra leveled her shield and bashed it against her opponent's face. The nameless man stumbled back and was struck down by Aiden's arrow. After well over a year of battling side by side, they were now an unstoppable force on the battle field.
Aiden notched another arrow while the mark flared and moaned in yearning to be used. He fought the urge. Using it on his own never did cause him discomfort, but it seemed the Fade changed that. Aiden knew that he could end this battle with a flick of his hand by opening a rift to swallow his enemies. It would save him arrows and his companions the effort of finishing off the last of the resistance guarding the Red Lyrium. The voices echoing in his head stopped Aiden and he forced himself to shoot another arrow instead. It went wide, missing his target and nearly hitting Bianca. The dwarf, not the crossbow.
"Watch it human!" The woman yelled at him, "Don't you know how to use that thing?"
"Told you she was a feisty one." Varric grinned shifting his crossbow to the next target. "Can give the Seeker a run for her money."
Aiden tried to aim again only to find his arms trembled too much to get a decent shot off. "No wonder you two get along so well."
"Will you two stop yapping and start shooting?" Cullen growled, charging in to the line of oncoming enemies.
Fuck it. Tossing the bow aside, Aiden thrust his left hand up, "Heads up."
Just as the veil began to tare, Cassandra snagged the Commander by the back of his cloak and dragged him away before they too were caught up in its vortex. Her gaze went to her husband's face, finding it strained and in great turmoil. She resisted the urge to go to his side. After what happened the day of their wedding, Cassandra wasn't sure how the mark would react to any outside interference.
Struggling to breathe, the Inquisitor fisted his hand and the rift closed with a loud pop. The world around him began to gray while his stomach twisted into painful knots.
Again! The Nightmare's voice hissed in his head. Bigger.
"No." Aiden collapsed onto his hands and knees. It had to be divine intervention that kept his afternoon meal down.
"Aiden?" Cassandra cautiously approached the rogue.
His glowing gaze snapped upwards, "Stay away from me!"
After setting her shield and weapon on the ground, she held her hands out to show she meant no harm. "You know that's not going to happen."
"I said stay away from me, woman!" Aiden scrambled backwards, nearly taking out Dorian in the process. His face filled with panic, "Who the hell are you people?"
If it wasn't for the sheer look of terror on her lover's face, Cassandra would have laughed and thought this a joke. "What do you mean?" She tried to keep her voice steady, "It's me, Cassandra."
Aiden's brows furrowed, "Cassandra who?"
Her heart nearly shattered, "Cassandra Pentagasht. Seeker…" Still nothing registered in his glowing blue orbs. Tears threatened to fall, but by the grace of Andraste, she held them at bay. "Your wife."
"The fuck you are. I don't even know you." Aiden tried to scramble away only to be stopped by Cullen, "I don't know any of you."
"Calm, Trevelyan." Cullen sheathed his sword in hopes to calm the taunt man. "You're with family. You're safe."
Dorian held up his staff, whispered a word, and the Inquisitor went lax.
Cassandra rushed to her husband's side, "What did you do?"
"I cast a sleeping spell." Dorian informed on a frown, "If I didn't he was going to either hurt one of us or worse, himself. Varric, you and your lady friend finish with what you need to. Cullen and Cassandra, take the Inquisitor up to the surface. Maybe some fresh air might clear his head."
Cassandra scooped up Aiden's bow and carefully removed the quiver from his back. "Cullen." Her throat was tight with emotions, "Take him and I'll get our gear."
Aiden wasn't out for long. When he awoke, the Inquisitor came up swinging. "Get away!" He took a shot at Cullen and nearly caught the Commander square in the jaw. "I won't let you take me back to him! Never! Do you hear me?"
"Calm down, Aiden." Cullen hoped using the man's given name might bring some recognition, but he wasn't that lucky as he had to dodge another on coming blow. "Andraste's mercy, Aiden. Listen to me for a moment."
"That's not going to work." Dropping the weapons, Cassandra rushed over to where they tucked their packs behind a rock in order to root through Aiden's. Grabbing his journal, she began to flip through pages until she found one that might do the trick. "Look at this, Aiden, and remember."
The rogue seem to calm at her voice enough to stop trying to attack Cullen. Slowly, he turned to stare at the journal Cassandra offered. It was easy for him to recognize his work sketched out onto the paper. Aiden carefully took the journal in his trembling hands to stare at the drawing.
Cassandra watched and held her breath. What if the mark had completely wiped his memory clean? What if they had to convince him all over again to help save Thedas from Corypheus? What if they had to start all over again? The thought made her eyes burn with tears she refused to let fall. She had to be strong, needed to be strong, for him. No matter the situation, they would get through this. She would do whatever it took for him to remember everything.
The journal slipped from his crocked fingers and he followed until he hit his hands and knees. "Cassandra?"
She was at his side in an instant, "I'm right here."
"The mark. I-It did something." He pressed a hand to his throbbing temple. It felt like a nail was trying to split it in two. "I was back, before the conclave. There were images of after, but they were so jumbled and muddled. They felt like a dream."
Cassandra ran her gloved fingers through his sweat soaked hair, "It's alright. We got you back, that's all the matters."
"It's only going to get worse." His blood ran cold in fear of losing his mind to the ancient magic. Losing all those wonderful memories with Cassandra. With his friends. "I'm going to lose who I am."
Despite the fact they both were covered in grim and the blood of their enemies, Cassandra pulled him hard against her. "I'm not going anywhere." She whispered, rocking him in hopes to comfort them both. "I'm not going anywhere, so you can just shut the hell up."
A strangled laugh caught in her throat, "Maker, you're such a stubborn woman."
"Then you should know by now nothing you say will make me change my mind."
He rested his brow in the crock of his arm, "I'm scarred, Cassandra."
It took all her will power and mostly the Maker's hand to keep the sob form at bay. This was the first time he openly admitted a fear of anything. He always approached his fate with an acceptance that she couldn't understand. Now, she had to be the strong one. She prayed to Andraste for the strength to be able to accomplish such a thing. "We're going to get through this." Emotions leaked into her voice, "I vow to you that I'll be there till the end and for everything in between."
Cullen watched the scene with a heavy heart. Nothing he could say or do would help ease either of their suffering. He met Cassandra's tear filled gaze and saw the true depth her strength for the first time. Was it any wonder he himself fell in love with the woman?
As night fell, Cassandra made her way around the Crossroads armed with some rations and a bit of freshly cooked meat. She wasn't sure that Aiden would eat, but at least she would try. She found him perched up on a retaining wall on the edge of the town, journal in hand. He was so absorbed in the pages he didn't even hear her approach.
"Trevelyan?"
The Inquisitor jolted and reached for the dagger at his side. He relaxed upon realization that it was Cassandra, "Sorry." He apologized, sheathing the dagger.
"It's alright. Can I join you?"
"Of course." He pulled his pack closer to make room.
"What are you doing?"
"Trying to wash the dark memories with good ones." Aiden flipped the page to Cassandra and Varric dancing. "Plus, looking at them calm me when you're not around."
Cassandra gave him a small smile, "I brought you something to eat."
"I'm not all that hungry, Lass."
"We had a deal, Trevelyan." One that held up well over the last year or so. "You don't skip any meals while I'm around."
"Were you born so pushy?" Aiden wondered, taking a small bit of dried meat.
"Well, I was born in a carriage." Cassandra informed and her husband chuckled, "Father said he knew I'd be trouble."
"He wasn't wrong." His comment earned him a not so gentle punch to the arm. He made a show of rubbing it, "Easy now, Seeker. Can't damage the merchandise."
She watched him lift his glowing hand in explanation and she scoffed while rolling her eyes.
Aiden grinned, "Have I ever told you that how incredibly sexy I find that?" Putting the journal aside, he leaned over to stroke a finger over her scarred cheek. "First time I saw it, I wanted to throw you to the ground and take you right there. But I figured if I tried, you'd most likely slit my throat."
"You were far too valuable for that." Cassandra whispered as his lips brushed over hers, "I would have most likely bashed you upside the head and dragged your ass up the mountain."
"Is it any wonder I fell for you?"
She placed a hand on his chest to keep him from plundering her lips, "You're trying to distract me so you won't have to eat." His eyes narrowed and Cassandra knew she was right. "Eat."
Sighing, Aiden settled back down and complied. "There is something I need to do before we go back to Skyhold."
"Oh?" The tone of his voice left her curious.
"I want-no need to go back to Haven."
That was the last thing Cassandra expected to hear. "Can I ask why?"
"It's hard to remember it clearly. I know that it's half buried and all, but I need to see it for myself. To see the place that helped me become a better man." He glanced down at his marked hand, "I want to pay my respects for those we lost. I know it's foolish…"
"No it's not." Cassandra softly cut him off, "I've wanted to return myself to see… See what is left."
"I wish you would accept that he's gone, Cassandra." He took her hand to bring it to his scarred lips, "There is no way he can ever hurt you again."
"I won't ever be free of that feeling until I see it for myself. Surly, you can understand that."
Aiden nodded. Though he knew that Brynn was dead, there was still a feeling in the bit of his stomach he carried every day. A feeling that he was going to turn a corner and see one of those men who trained him. Who worked him until they destroyed everything inside of him? A feeling that today would be the day where is past fully came to light.
"Finish your dinner while I go inform the others of the plan."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
As they drew closer to Haven, Aiden slowed his steed and the others followed suit. A chill ran through his bones. They were looking down at what remained after the avalanche he caused to give the towns people more time to escape. Things were damaged, but mostly intact. A few of the dwellings had caved in roofs and a couple were just completely gone. Other buried under the snow that still lingered despite it being almost the end of summer. The mountain range must protect it from the warm rays of sun most of the time.
Aiden glanced up at the sky then back down. It looked strange without the green glow reflecting off the white dusted ground. Coming back to Haven was a lot harder than Aiden and his companions prepared themselves for.
Aiden slipped off his horse where the gates use to stand. A memory of marching through them to face off against Corypheus and his dragon hit him and had him shuddering. That seemed like an entire life time ago. Not over a year.
Cassandra, now at his side, slipped her hand into his marked one. "You okay, Trevelyan?"
The Inquisitor took a shaky breath, "I think so."
Dorian started trudging through the snow in the direction towards the dwelling he used during his time here. "I'm going to see what's left."
Cullen tied the reins of his horse to a post of the fence sticking out from the snow, "The Chantry is more intact then I imagined it would be."
Something cold crossed over the nape of Cassandra's neck. "I wonder…" She licked her dry lips, squeezing her husband's hand tightly. "If anyone left inside survived."
Knowing where her thoughts strayed to, Aiden set his jaw and lead them towards the half buried building. She needed to see if Ormo escaped or was rotting in the cell beneath the Chantry. And he needed to as well. If the bastard still roamed Thedas then he was going to use ever resource of the Inquisition to hunt the bastard down and drag him to Skyhold for a slow execution.
Varric veered off just inside the gates. Cullen led the way up the snowy path towards the Chantry. The front was buried and collapsed with no safe way to get in. On Cassandra suggestion, the Commander rounded the side of the building towards the entrance they used to escape that fateful night. The tunnel ran under the back of the Chantry, leading to a series of others as well as a ladder.
Cassandra placed a hand on the wrung, "This leads down to the basement." She whispered glancing to the left, "That one leads out to the war room. It's how we fled while you… you…"
"Did something incredibly noble and stupid." Aiden finished.
She snorted and the knots in her stomach loosened ever so slightly. After many weeks of travel on top of their excursion to the Hinterlands, Cassandra wanted to see the walls of Skyhold again. But she had to do this before they returned. It would put a part of her mind at ease and she could truly begin to move on from everything.
Sensing her hesitation, Aiden leaned down to unlatch the trap door. It not being open had to be a good sign for what they would find under it. "I'll go first?" Aiden asked and she nodded.
"I'm going to go to the war room." Cullen announced wanting to let the two deal with this moment alone. "Yell if you need anything."
Nodding his thanks, Aiden climbed down the later and found the temperature dropped a good five if not ten degrees. He pulled his cloak tighter around him as he watched the Seeker descended down the ladder. "I spent a lot of time down here hiding."
"No wonder I couldn't find you. This would have been the last place I expected you to go."
"Exactly why I did." Aiden studied the area, finding it largely untouched from the force of the avalanche. "Ready?"
Cassandra took a shaky breath, "No."
"Look at me, Seeker." He reached to take her by the arm, "I'm right here with you."
She squeezed his hand, "Lead the way."
Nodding, Aiden took point and worked his way around the corner to the cells. The ceiling creaked and moaned, raining bits of rock and dust upon them. There was no stopping them. They both needed this. He felt her fingers dig into his shoulder as they approached the cell they had thrown The Smithy in the day of Corypheus' attack.
After a moment's hesitation, Cassandra stepped around her husband to stare between the bars. Burred beneath a pile of concrete, laid the body of the Smithy. The cold preserved him, showing every wound that the Inquisitor inflected on him. There was so much damage. Cassandra couldn't bring herself to see him so soon after Aiden rescued her. She told herself that it could wait until after they closed the breach. Until after she sought out Aiden and told him everything she'd been holding back.
"He's dead." Aiden whispered running a soothing hand down her spine.
"I wanted to be the one to end his life." The confession fell from her lips as a single tear slid down her cold cheek. "I wanted to make him suffer like he made suffer. I wanted him to experience the fear he put me through."
"It wouldn't have given you the peace you sought."
"Didn't killing Brynn give you just that?" Cassandra demanded, looking back at him.
The Inquisitor frowned, "There was a difference."
"Enlighten me."
Sighing, he scrubbed a hand over his bearded cheek, "You're not me, Cassandra. When I killed Brynn it didn't damage my soul because I didn't have one. You killing Ormo would have changed you. It would have made you a different person. In the end, you'd only find regret."
Cassandra hated that he was right. It was the same reason that Leliana stopped her from doing too much damage to the man who tried to take Aiden's life. She rested her hands against the cold metal bars, "You were the reason I made it through. In the darkness, after he tried to break me, I clung to the thought of you. I knew you'd come for me."
"I'll always come for you, Seeker." He slid an arm around her shoulders, "C'mon. He doesn't deserve another moment of our time."
"Walk me through how you survived."
0o0o00o0
Cassandra tipped her head back to gaze up through the hole not much bigger than a dufflo. "It's a miracle you didn't break your neck." Thinking about it chilled her more than the frigid air. Her gaze shifted, "What is it?"
Crouched down, Aiden carefully nudged away a bit of debris, "I'll be damned." He muttered, fishing his prize from the half frozen ground. Carefully, Aiden cracked open the stiff leather journal and was surprised to find the pages inside largely intact. Some of the graphite and ink was smudged, but the drawings inside were well preserved. "It's the journal you gave me. The one I was drawing in that night."
The delight in her husband's voice had Cassandra kneeling down beside him. He had opened to a page, depicting in great detail the celebration in Haven after sealing the breach. "We can go to you cabin." Or attempt to at least. "To see if more survived. I know your drawings mean a lot to you."
"They help me remember." Aiden flipped a page, paled, and quickly tried to close it.
Only Cassandra was swift and plucked it from his fingers, "What's this?"
"It's nothing."
"Oh no, I don't think so." She stood to dodge his grasping hands. "I don't remember posing for this."
"Well I umm…" Standing, Aiden awkwardly rubbed the raised skin on the back of his neck.
Grinning, she studied her naked form sketched on the paper, "You weren't far off."
"I used my memory of that night on the Storm Coast."
"And use some creative…" The journal slipped from her fingers, her face scrunching in pain, as she stumbled to her knees.
"Cass?" He barely had time to catch her falling form. The color was draining from her face at an alarming rate. "Talk to me, Seeker. What's wrong?"
"Something isn't right." Whining in agony, she crossed her arms over her torso. The pain, sharp and aching, raged in the bit of her stomach. She tried to move only to yelp, "Hurts. Hurts."
Aiden swung her up into his arms and navigated through the cavern. One of her arms was draped around his neck, her fingers holding loosely onto the color of his jacket. "Talk to me." He glanced down, jarring the Seeker until brown eyes starred back up at him, "Cassandra?"
"Tired." Her voice grew weaker, "So tired."
"Dorian!" Aiden readjusted and took off towards the main gates, "Varric! Cullen!"
"Who's worrying now?" Cassandra softly jabbed, a small smirk crossing her bone pale face.
Aiden continued to call for his companions, focusing on Dorian in particular. The mage was their only means to figure out what ailed the warrior.
"What's wrong?" Cullen damned, appearing on the rubble that use to be the tavern. His gaze fell to the woman curled in Aiden's arms. "Inside the Chantry."
Dorian was waiting for the trio, "Lay her own." He commanded pulling off his satchel of pillaged supplies he managed to find around town.
Cullen removed his cloak and jacket to soften the ground in hopes to make Cassandra as comfortable as possible. "What happened?"
"I don't know." Kneeling, Aiden carefully laid the Seeker down. "We were talking and she doubled over in pain. Cassandra… Cassandra!"
Her eyes fluttered open for just a moment.
Dorian smelt the blood a moment before Aiden discovered his hand was drenched in it. The mage's heart sank, "Cullen I need herbs and whatever can burn to start a fire."
Aiden's gaze was so transfixed on the crimson coating his hand, he didn't notice the Commander's exit. "Dorian?"
"Give her your cloak. We need to keep her warm." The mage demanded, unclasping his won and draping it over Cassandra's trembling form.
"Dorian." Aiden tried again.
"She's losing blood." Dorian shifted to investigate, "Lots of it."
"From what?" Aiden rambled off question after question, fear gripping his heart with icy fingers. Was it red Lyrium? Had she been hit by a shard? Or ingested it?
"Aiden." Struggling to keep a hold of his own emotions, Dorian fisted his hand in the Inquisitor's tunic, "I need you to focus. I need you to calm her."
"What's going on?" Tears filled his voice the moment Dorian averted his haze. Andraste, no. It couldn't be. The Maker couldn't be that cruel. "Dorian?"
"I'm sorry, my friend." Dorian carefully lifted Cassandra's head to take a sip of potion Aiden knew so well. "I can ease the pain and slow the bleeding. But I… I can't…"
"Fucking spit it out!"
"I can't save the baby."
"No!" The soft cry came from Cassandra, tears instantly flowing down her pale face. "Dorian you have to save it."
The mage frowned, "I can't, Cassandra."
"Bullshit." This time Aiden reached out to yank Dorian forward by the front of his robes. "There has to be something you can do. An herb, root, something. Tell me and I'll find it-."
Dorian held the Inquisitor in place, "You're going nowhere. I can't save it." The statement was filled with anguish. "Cassandra will need you."
Shoving aside his grief and furry, Aiden wiped his hand clean the best he could as he moved to cradle her head in his lap. "A little more." Aiden encouraged taking the potion flask from Dorian. "Open, my love."
Cassandra refused. She deserved the pain. The agony. It was her body rejecting the life they created inside her. She covered her face and began to so. For a few days now, she suspected that she might be with child and had every intention of seeking out Dorian the moment they returned to Skyhold. Only thing was, Cassandra hadn't counted on the detours, the caves, and red Lyrium. This was all her fault. "I'm sorry, Aiden."
"Shh, Lass." Aiden stroked his fingers through her damp hair, "'tis not your fault."
"Yes it is. I… I… I'm so sorry."
No matter how much Aiden assured, he knew that Cassandra wouldn't change her mind. He bent down to kiss her brow, "I love you." He whispered over and over until the Seeker cried herself to sleep.
Dorian began to crush herbs with his pestle and mortar, "This will slow and hopefully stop the bleeding so she doesn't bleed out."
The thought of losing her on top of the baby had Aiden scrambling away as far as he could to purge the contents of his stomach. How could the so called Maker do this? Empty now, Aiden pounded his marked fist repeatedly and relentlessly into the cobble stone floor. The magic flared and started working its way up his arm. It was feeding off his grief. Off the rage burning inside him. Through the roar in his head, he could hear the whispers. The taunting of countless demons waiting on the other side of the thinned spot of the fade. All he had to do was tear it open and let them through.
"Do it." The nightmare hissed, "I can save her. I can save your son."
A sobbed caught in his throat. It had to be a trick, but Aiden couldn't help but think about the what ifs. What if the fade beings could stop Cassandra from miscarrying? There would be a cost. Aiden knew such magic didn't come without a price.
"Just open the rift."
Aiden slammed his battered hand against the side of his head in hopes to dislodge the voices. He wanted to save her, to save them both, but he couldn't give into this.
A familiar hand touched his shoulder, jarring Aiden out of his stupor. He blinked the tears away and focused on the Commander's grim face, "Cullen?"
Cullen helped the Inquisitor to his feet, "Breath. Focus."
"Don't listen to him. Your son can be saved. I can protect your Seeker so you'll never have to worry again."
"No, Aiden don't." The voice this time belonged to someone familiar. Alistair pleaded with the rogue to stay strong.
"How could your Maker do this?" Aiden asked, tears flooding his voice. They were so close to achieving something they both desperately wanted. Something, Aiden thought he would never have. Oh how he longed for a little dark haired girl with Cassandra's looks and wit along with his eyes and sarcasm. "How could he put one of his most faithful through so much? She's done nothing but devote herself to him. To the Inquisition. To whatever cause the fucking Maker and Andraste asked of her. And this is how he repays her?"
Cullen didn't flinch as Aiden pounded his fist against his chest. He would even allow the Inquisitor to beat the shit out of him if it helped ease the pain. "I'm sorry." Tears burned the back of his throat, but he swallowed them. "I don't have the answers. I don't think anyone does."
Defeated, Aiden dropped his brow to the Commander's shoulder. They were so happy. He knew it wouldn't remain their focal point once they returned to Skyhold and back to the grind of things, but he had hoped it would last for just a little bit longer. Now, how could things be the same? "She's going to blame herself."
"You'll have to make her see differently. A hard task, I know."
Aiden chuckled ever so slightly.
"You're not not alone." Cullen softly assured, "You have your family to help you through his."
SORRY!
