Cullen's eyes scanned the room thoroughly for the third time at this point, perplexed by the fact that he still hadn't caught sight of her yet. It was as if she'd vanished completely from the palace. It didn't help that he couldn't hear a great deal either since the music had gotten much louder. With Celene safe and the night declared a victory everyone had taken the opportunity to indulge in the revelry. The evening had been stressful to say the least but he was glad that they had interrupted Corypheus' plan. However, now that there was unity and time to relax he'd planned to check up on Orianni, leading to his current predicament. Since he had been freed from the many admirers that followed him around this evening he took the opportunity to move about in an attempt to find her. For a moment he worried that there had perhaps been more assassin's skulking around that no one but she noticed. He easily brushed the thought aside, knowing that it was highly unlikely. As he roamed about the massive room he was beginning to doubt if she was there at all. He determined that he would search the entire palace if necessary. Thankfully that would prove to be unnecessary as he'd noticed the witch that had been with the Empress for the majority of the evening. She was returning from one of the large balconies that were accessible to the guests. He looked past her, noticing that she'd left Orianni on that same balcony standing alone.
"There you are," He said softly as he approached her, trying not to sound too excited, "I couldn't find you inside, there are a few others looking for you as well." He noticed by the way she was standing that she was fatigued. "Are you alright?"
Orianni rested her hands on the railing in front of her as she turned her head to speak with him. "I just wanted to get some air," She sighed, "The night has been very long and I'm not feeling very social."
"I can understand not wanting to mingle," Cullen said as he leaned on the railing beside her, making himself comfortable. "I've certainly had my fill for a lifetime."
She smirked sarcastically. "I noticed," She stated flatly, "It seems as though you could have your pick of any woman in that room." Orianni looked out toward the mountains, feeling a surge of envy come to her. There had been so many of them and many had seemed to be very beautiful women. Every time she passed by him or attempted to speak with him they were there, growing in numbers and pining over him. The constant giggling and shameless flirting had annoyed her to no end. It certainly made her feel insecure knowing that she was nothing like the beautiful women. In fact, everything about the event made her feel that way. A number of times she had been singled out as "exotic". Josephine had told her to think of it as a positive comment, but it made her feel more like a commodity.
Cullen sensed the scorn in her tone but was slightly amused by it. "My dear Inquisitor," He teased, "If I didn't know better I'd have to believe you're jealous." She shot him a look, playfully pretending to glare. "Certainly not Jealous," She corrected him.
"Good," He said with an exhale, mentally preparing himself. He offered her a gentle smile and thought for a moment before speaking. "Besides, there is only one woman that truly has my interest. And she's um... definitely not inside."
Orianni glanced away quickly since she could feel that her face had gotten warm, particularly when the gust of cool wind hit her. There had been no doubt in her mind that he was talking about herself. She knew that there was something between them and had pictured having this conversation with him but was not at all prepared for it, especially now. She had wanted to speak about her feelings almost every day that she spent recovering and since she wasn't allowed to leave or do much she had plenty of opportunity. When she was allowed to be out of bed she'd visited with him often, she enjoyed when he told her stories of his family and childhood. Unfortunately, there was still one thing that held her back.
"Wouldn't you want something… more familiar? Someone closer to home?" Her voice was soft but despite her nerves she maintained composure. She had meditated on what Dorian had said to her many times, but it was still difficult for her. Orianni cared greatly for her clan and it would be heartbreaking if they were to turn their backs on her. She knew her brethren well; clan Lavellan valued their culture highly and they were not often very tolerant. However, she knew she would regret neglecting her feelings for him more.
"My life has never been ordinary," Cullen admitted, "Even so, the fact that you're an elf has never been a point of contention."
She listened intently when he spoke, he sounded genuine but she didn't understand it. She hadn't considered how different she was until this evening. There had been a few times she'd noticed guests pointing at her and whispering; she had never been self conscious of her Vallaslin until tonight. It reminded her of her upbringing and caused her to fear that they were too different for one another. "But I'm Dalish… and a mage as well remember," She added bluntly, "That doesn't give you apprehension? You once hated them so intensely, would you eventually come to hate me?"
Cullen had honestly been thrown by her sudden question. He genuinely had stopped thinking of her as a mage long ago. Upon learning her name that day in the courtyard he'd only thought of her as "Orianni" and since he'd never really seen her cast spells it became something he rarely reminded himself of. "I don't think of you as a mage…" He said quietly, "I think of you as you are; a truly wonderful person and I'm very grateful to have met you. I apologize if I've given you reason to think otherwise."
His words had granted her some comfort and she relaxed her body, turning completely to face him. She leaned on the rail, mirroring him.
Cullen watched her attentively as she moved, a glimmer from one of the beads on her sage green dress catching his eye. He glanced downward, smirking at the sight of her bare feet. "Where are those fancy shoes that Josephine insisted that you wear at all times?"
Orianni smiled and motioned behind her. "They're next to the bench over there," She explained, "I'll put them back on when I go back inside."
"Why don't you ever wear shoes?" He asked.
"I broke my ankle when I was little," She answered, "It was well before I became the Keeper's First, I was playing with some other children and jumped out of a tree. I thought I could land on my feet." She looked off thoughtfully. "I didn't tell anyone and it didn't heal right, making shoes quite uncomfortable."
Cullen stood up straight. "So you've always had a habit of hiding injuries," He commented. Noticing that she shifted uncomfortably, Cullen quickly changed the subject. "What were you doing in the tree anyway?"
He saw that her face softened and she began to grin. "When I was a child," Orianni confessed, "I would pretend to be Dirth'ena enasalin. The idea of being an Arcane Warrior was amazing to me. They were fierce, powerful warriors that had been touched by magic. It's still freeing to think about..." She trailed off, caught in the thought of it. The stories she'd been told of the ancient warriors were certainly her favorite.
"You can still learn if you want to," Cullen suggested, offering her the same advice she'd given him before.
Orianni shrugged, looking into the distance. "The art became extremely rare after the fall of the ancient elves. I've never encountered anyone who could teach me."
Their conversation had been interrupted by a sudden crash, sounding as though someone had dropped a glass or plate. There were several hoots and hollers in response, the guests becoming rowdier from intoxication. The music grew louder, no doubt an attempt to mask the loud conversations.
"We should go back in soon," Cullen noted, looking toward the door. However, the feeling of her hand gently resting on his chest caused his heart to start racing, he looked back at her quickly. "Wait," She whispered, "Can we stay here? Just for a bit longer?"
"For as long as you'd like," He offered. The fact that she had desired his company alone made him smile unconsciously.
She had stepped up to him, the way she had wanted to in the clearing. She slowly rested her head on his chest above where her hand was established, letting out a tired sigh.
Cullen hesitantly placed one of his hands on her back, but she welcomed the action by nuzzling into him. Confidence surged in him at that and he wrapped his other arm around her, pulling her into his embrace. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, the scent of lavender and honey danced around his nose. He could've stood there for an eternity, holding her the way he'd wanted to for longer than he'd care to admit. After a while, they'd begun to sway to the music that resonated from inside with no intention of returning in the near future.