Intentions in Romance

-InquisitorAllandra

Notes! I don't own the stuff that Bioware owns, mkay.

:3

Cullen had been busier than usual today – every time he turned around, it seemed, someone needed something or there was something else to do. Training, drills, reports, a meeting in the war room, a delegation was arriving that afternoon – the list went on.

It was an hour or two just after midday he finally found a moment to breathe and grab a bit of lunch. He usually didn't make it a habit to go and filch from the kitchens, but he was ravenous that afternoon. Now, sitting in his office, he wasn't expecting any visitors (Allandra was busy enough herself, he hadn't seen her since that morning) as he chewed absentmindedly on some bread and cheese.

So needless to say when the door opened, he'd hoped it was his lady inquisitor. As luck would have it, though, it was the wrong Lavellan – the older, white haired mage-sister, not his roguish Allandra. The beginnings of a smile fell from his face as Lyora strode in, pretty as you please, letting the door close loudly behind her.

That it was Lyora who found him was curious enough. It was the way she was eyeballing him, however, those icy-blue eyes sharp and critical, that put the Cullen a bit on edge. The former templar sat back in his chair, an eyebrow lifting curiously in question.

"Well, this is a surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure?" It wasn't much of a pleasure, not really. It was well known that as much as one of the sisters loved the golden-haired commander, the other seemed to barely be able to tolerate the man.

Lyora seemed content to let Cullen wait for an answer as she strolled around his office, eyeing a few things that were set about. After some minutes of silence, the Dalish turns on the heel of her foot, peering at the commander with eyes of icy steel through her lashes.

"I see no reason to...beat around the bush on the subject, Commander. I will be straight to the point. As Allandra's only surviving family and clan member, it is my duty." The mage tilted her head up, chin thrust forward stubbornly, and watched the human's every change in expression from confusion to some semblance of understanding. "As a shemlen I do not expect you to understand; but as a brother with sisters, I suspect you will have a bit more understanding than others. I have watched you and my sister go about in your..." her lips twitched in an attempt not to frown, "...relationship while the Inquisition is going strong. I'm sure by now we all feel it, the end of this fight with Corypheus will be soon. Once it is done, what are your intentions with my sister? And do not try to be evasive or daft."

Cullen's gaze and expression were steady and fairly neutral, studying the woman quietly as she spoke. He had to admit, he'd wondered if or when this conversation would happen. The commander settled his hands in his lap, weaving his fingers together before answering.

"Allandra and I are taking this day by day. We don't know what will happen before this is all over. I have told her that if and when the Inquisition comes to an end, I have no wish to be parted from her. We have come this far, I will not abandon her." The statement was simple yet clear.

Lyora raised a brow at the conviction behind the words. What she had expected was hard to say – a slow curling of her lips seemed to say she may be at least partially satisfied. It was, however, absurdly hard to tell with the former First.

"Well then. I expected nothing less, especially after the events in Wycome. And Orlais, I suppose." There was a roll of her eyes as she began almost lazily exploring the office again. "If Varric doesn't have a novel written about the two of you before Satinalia, I will be sorely dissapointed."

It was Cullen's turn to raise a curious brow, gaze following the elder Lavellan sister about the room. "A novel about-? Maker's breath, why would he-?" There was a frustrated sigh and a shake of his head. "Was that thall that brought you up here? Was to ask about Allandra and I?"

"No. I was trying to discern if you had any plans or if you were just passing the time so as to not be bored. After all, how many men get to truly say they bedded such a figure as my little sister? That, and if you understood the...impact your relationship would have in regards to other Dalish." Lyora was at the bookcase now, casually looking over the various titles.

"Plans? Perhaps." The second half of the statement brought a frown to his face. "I understand that relations between an elf – a dalish elf- and a human are frowned upon, and generally rare to be heard of being anything more than a dalliance." He frowned at the white-haired elf curiously. "We found that my being human or her being elven did not bother either of us, and that was the end of that."

Curiously, the elf tilted her head when she turned again to eye the man, locks of white hair falling in Lyora's face. "Hm. So, you grasp a base understanding, Commander." Straightening, she took several quick strides across the room before settling against the bookcase. "The views vary clan to clan – in some, they are frowned upon, in many, they are forbidden outright. If you are from one of the clans that it is forbidden, they may take one or two of several outcomes. They will most likely kill the human, and-or exile the clan-member."

"What is your point, Lyora?" Cullen growled the words, trying to maintain his patience.

"That you understand exactly what you mean to my little sister, Commander. That you understand that, if our clan still lived, what she would have most likely been giving up for you." There was a severe, no-nonsense set to the elf's jaw and expression. The two locked into something of a silent staredown, one waiting, the other processing the new information. "As it is, if she chose to try to join another clan after this…Inquisition is complete, many if not all would reject her unless she rid herself of you. If she did not, she would be alone in the world, cut off from the People, but she would have you."

Cullen took a long, deep breath to steady himself. He was trying to be polite, but all he really wanted at the moment was to throw the woman out. How could one love one sister so much, and the other could just barely be tolerated? Perhaps that was a bit harsh. He would probably be in the same position for his siblings if the positions were reversed. HE knew Allandra would not be alone in the world – they had made several friends in the Inquisition, not to mention that he was sure his family would love and accept Allandra for who she was.

Finding silence at the last declaration, Lyora simply gave a firm nod as she turned on her heel and left the room, the door again slamming behind her with a resounding thump.

The mage had certainly left the Commander with some things to think on, whether he liked it or not.

It was late when Cullen finally made his way up to Allandra's room in the Keep.

Allandra didn't look up from her paperwork till he had come past the final step and was well into the room. The elf offered her lover a brilliant, if not tired, smile.

Cullen relieved himself of most of the layers of armor he wore, stripping down to tunic and breeches before crossing the room to the Inquisitor's desk.

"Mmmm. It feels like I have not seen you all day, ma vhenan," Allandra purred when Cullen leaned down to kiss first her forehead, then her lips.

The comment drew a bit of a laugh. "It has been all day, darling." He murmured, turning to pull up another chair. "This is a bit of a switch, though – you are still working, and I'm not. How has that happened?"

Light blue eyes blinked in surprise, widening at the realization. A quick glance out the window, then at the candle on her desk, confirmed his statement. "I hadn't realized." The Dalish hurriedly scratched a signature onto the bottom of the paper she was looking over, adding a flourish at the end – something she had picked up from Josephine, no doubt – before setting it aside carefully to dry.

He must have had a peculiar look on his face, causing the elf to tilt her head, brows knitting together as a small frown tugged at her lips. "Is something wrong…?"

The question brought Cullen out of his thoughts about earlier; he shook his head to answer her question. "No, nothing's wrong. It has simply been a long day." His eyes narrowed, looking Allandra up and down. "You, however, look exhausted."

A sigh passed her lips, one that spoke far more than words could. Deceptively delicate, long fingers went up to rest at the elf's tattooed temples. Before she could say a word, Cullen was standing again, this time stepping behind the Inquisitor's chair, hands pressing deep into the muscles of her shoulders. The gesture earned him a rather surprised, but pleased, moan from Allandra, who tilted her head forward a bit more into her hands as Cullen massaged her shoulders.

Minutes passed in silence, the only sound in the room the crackling from the fireplace, and the sound of hands bunching the linen of her shirt.

"Allandra." He murmured, almost unwilling to break the comfortable silence.

"Mm?" She mumbled, betraying the fact that she had almost fallen asleep there at the desk.

Even though she could not see it, he smiled, both in amusement and out of love for the elf that sat before him.

"Come, lets go to bed. You're near asleep in the chair."

A muffled sound of protest rose from her throat as Cullen stopped working her shoulder muscles, but she stood regardless, hand reaching out for his to guide him to the bed they shared in her room.

He thought, briefly, as they both stripped down to settle into bed, to tell her of the visit her sister had paid him today but thought better of it. Whatever plans they made for the future; they would make together.

Perhaps, though, a particular question was in order…once things had settled down. Once Corypheus was defeated.

Thoughts turned hazy as his head hit the pillow, a brown-haired, blue eyed elf tucked comfortably in his arms lulled the former templar to sleep.