10. The Healing

Lady Cassandra Trevelyan, first of her name and Lady of the Household of Skyhold, lets out a loud laugh as she gently kicks on her horse, urging it to move faster when she can hear the sound of his horse that is quickly catching up with hers. Cassandra looks over her shoulder and lets her eyes settle on the man that is currently racing her back to Skyhold, her husband and Inquisitor, Ashton Trevelyan. The Seeker turns her attention back to the mountain path, the bright green of the trees flashing past her as they ride back towards their home with the warm sun beating down on them. Cassandra hears him clicking his tongue and realises how close he is, the steady and fast rhythm of their horses now in time with each other.

Cassandra glances at him again and notices that he gathers the reigns in his fist and kicks his mount to keep up this speed and that he rides with as much confidence as he had always done. It had been six months since Lord Trevelyan had lost his arm, six months since he'd had his last nightmare, and six months since they'd been enjoying the rest of their lives and he'd begun healing. Lady Trevelyan smiles when she notices he is watching her, seeing him smile back in a way that only a man that was finally free could do. A man that was no longer in pain, and that had his whole life to look forward to.

"Shall we keep going?" Cassandra calls to him as she motions her head towards next path that they are quickly approaching and would lead them up to the grassy meadows that overlook Skyhold, where their horses would often be grazed and there were fields of flowers as far as the eye could see.

"Let's do that." Lord Trevelyan calls back to her with a smile that she recognises as a man that remembers how much he enjoys relaxing with her in the long grass, and how on a summers day it felt like they were the only people in the world.

She smiles and nods lightly before gathering her horse beneath her and guiding it up the path, a lesser-used grass and mud track that winds higher around their fortress until they are high above it and can look down on their home. Cassandra slows until her horse is at a gentle trot and hears Lord Trevelyan letting his mount follow hers, both of them forgetting altogether about their race as they follow the trail until it meets the large wooden gate that leads to the fields and meadow. The Seeker brings her horse to stand and carefully swings her leg over and climbs down to the ground, lifting the reigns over her mounts head and leading him through the gate.

"It is such a beautiful day." Cassandra sighs as she lifts her head towards the sun, enjoying the warmth on her skin before she glances behind her and notices that Lord Trevelyan is leading his horse through the gate too and that he ties his mount to the fence so it can drink and then takes her reigns from her and does the same.

"It reminds me of the day we got married." Lord Trevelyan smiles at her. "The first time." He adds with a smirk and she watches him approach her and hold his hand out to her while she takes and slips her fingers through his.

"That reminds me.." Lady Trevelyan giggles when his eyes meet hers. "I have something for you." She whispers and notices the butterflies inside her when he smiles, that smile she'd fallen in love with when the world had been so much darker.

"I have everything I could ever want." The Inquisitor nods as she feels him continue walking further into the long grass and flowers and taking her with him until they can see the whole of Skyhold beneath them. "I have this.." He smiles and motions to their home. "I have Robert." Lord Trevelyan nods. "I have you." He whispers as she notices he lets go of her hand and wraps his arm around her to draw her closer to him.

"You will always have me," Cassandra whispers and lets her eyes meet his, wondering how she could be any more blessed than she was right now. Her husband was hers again, they were happy and life was finally peaceful for the three of them. "And, a son who can't keep quiet now he knows how wonderful talking is." She smiles and sees he does too, Robert was becoming quite the talker and they'd loved every minute of listening to his excited chatter and observations of the world.

"He takes after me I think." The Inquisitor grins at her. "But, luckily he is as intelligent as you." He adds making her giggle quietly and hold him tighter. "We're so blessed." Lord Trevelyan whispers making her nod in agreement.

"We are." She nods with a smile. "Ashton, I know this isn't the same.." Lady Trevelyan sighs as she lifts her hands to her neck and takes hold of the leather that she has hanging around her neck and beneath her tunic.

"What's this? A wedding ring?" Lord Trevelyan laughs when he lowers his eyes to the leather and then to the gold wedding band that she has attached to it. Cassandra feels his eyes return to hers and he gives her a grateful smile. "This is even better than my old one." He nods as she lifts it off over her head and lowers it over his until it sits against his chest.

"I couldn't get yours back." The Seeker sighs quietly but smiles when she sees how happy her husband looks, and that he lifts his hand to let his fingers touch the gold ring around his neck. "But hopefully you'll try harder not to lose this one." Cassandra giggles and places her hand over his.

"I will try not to lose it." Lord Trevelyan smiles.

Cassandra hears him sigh quietly when she wraps her arms around his neck and presses a kiss against his mouth, feeling him holding her tighter against his chest and sliding his hand up her back. She notices the smile stretching onto his face when she kisses him softly again before lifting her hands to his face and stroking her fingers against his skin.

"Can we stay awhile?" The Seeker sighs, letting her eyes move over his face when she notices the scar on his lip move when he nods his reply and adds a lopsided smile. She can't help but smile when she gazes at him, wondering if she would ever tire of this wonderful man.

"Did you bring us a picnic?" Lord Trevelyan laughs making her shake her head and rest her cheek against his and wrap her arms around his middle. She slides her hands up onto his shoulder blades and softly presses her lips against his cheek.

"I didn't…" Cassandra begins and lets her mouth linger against his skin which makes him sigh. "I thought it would be nice to have some time alone." She adds and notices he nods and he is watching her closely. "Soon you'll be away from me." Lady Trevelyan sighs and notices her words draw his eyes to her.

"You know I would stay and never leave if I could." Lord Trevelyan smiles at her. "I promise I will always come home, Cass." Her husband adds making her squeeze him tighter, hoping he'd never return hurt and that was long behind them. "I'm here now." Ashton smiles again.

"I promise I'll always be waiting." Cassandra smiles and feels him resting his forehead against hers. "Waiting to hug you, and hold you.." She adds and leans back to look into his face. "Waiting to kiss you." Lady Trevelyan smiles again and lets her lips gently touch his and then against his jaw.

"Hmm, so this is why you wanted to come up here." The Inquisitor laughs lightly when she nuzzles her mouth against his neck. "Time alone." He whispers and she feels his eyes on hers.

"Whatever do you mean, husband?" Cassandra giggles quietly when unwraps her arms from around him and takes hold of his hand in hers, walking backwards and tugging him to go with her. "Don't you want to lay with me?" Lady Trevelyan whispers and feels his brown eyes meet hers as she lowers herself to the grass.

"Here?" The Inquisitor asks as watches him sitting beside her and then notices him glancing around them before his eyes meet hers so she nods, letting a flirtatious smile stretch onto her face. "Is that even a question, Lady Trevelyan?" Lord Trevelyan laughs making her giggle when he leans closer to her and draws her mouth to his.

"I love you, Ash." Cassandra sighs against his mouth as she rests her hand on the back of his neck and strokes her fingers through his hair. "If only there was a word stronger than love." She whispers between kisses.

"There's you and me." Lord Trevelyan smiles when he leans back to look at her. "This, us.." He nods. "We're stronger than everything." Ashton smiles. "I love you, Cass." He whispers and she feels him pulling her closer and his mouth on hers again.

"Until the end, whenever that might be." Cassandra sighs between kisses and pulls him down into the grass with her, giggling when he wraps himself around her and she can feel the cool of the grass beneath her body and the warmth of him on top of her.

"Did you hear that?" Lord Trevelyan begins as he breaks their kiss and she watches him lift his head to listen more closely. "I hate that bloody horn." He laughs when she hears too the unmistakable sound of the Skyhold horn being sounded.

"Do you think we're needed?" Cassandra whispers as she notices her husband's eyes return to hers and that he shakes his head lightly.

"I prefer to be fashionably late." The Inquisitor grins at her before lowering his head and capturing her mouth with his again, making her sigh and wrap her arms around his body. Letting herself get caught up in him and forgetting for a while that anything else exists but The Inquisitor and his Seeker.

Life was good for Lord and Lady Trevelyan, and their family at Skyhold; Solas had told them to live well, and they made sure they were doing that every day.