Cassandra could feel him enter the room before she even saw him, she didn't know if it was the connection she felt between them that was making it that way or if it was the way that the vial thrummed in her pocket wanting to be around the Inquisitor's neck. Whatever it was, if it was love or evil, she knew he was lurking somewhere in the shadows and that he had his eyes set on her from across the room like an animal stalking her. The atmosphere changed as soon as he arrived, she could feel people begin whispering nervously and directing their eyes in the Inquisitor's direction as soon as he set foot into the hall. People were scared and the air was thick with their fear, they had seen his rage and they had seen him try to tear the Chantry apart after he had set eyes on his Brother. He is just tired and overcome with grief, his Mother had sobbed trying to excuse her son's actions and returning everyone's attention away from Ashton Trevelyan's outburst and back to Henry Trevelyan and his funeral.
The Seeker had managed to speak to Daniel and enlisted his help to remove the dark magic from the Inquisitor but the method that he had told her was the only way, terrified her. Lord Trevelyan had stormed back to his room in the Trevelyan estate after being humiliated and subdued by Daniel and no one had seen him since. By the time everyone had been gathered back at the house to share in some drinks and their memories of Henry, The Inquisitor's rage had almost been completely forgotten. Cassandra had watched Lady Annabelle excuse herself and the children from the wake, assuring people that she was fine but needed to let them get some rest.
"He's here isn't he?" Lady Pentaghast whispers as quietly as she can leaning towards the Commander, who stands with her in the corner, her back to the door hoping it would take longer for her lover to spot her. Cassandra watches Cullen glance up, looking past her and at the Inquisitor who continues to fix his eyes in her direction.
"Yes," Cullen whispers, swallowing down his anxious feelings when he sees Lord Trevelyan. The Seeker closes her eyes for a moment when she sees that even her friend and protector is looking worried, the vial was in her pocket and still, it had taken him. Lady Pentaghast watches as Cullen reaches to take two glasses from a tray that is being directed around the room by a server, he holds one out to her before bringing the other to his lips drinking deeply. Cullen knew she couldn't drink so she was unsure why he had picked up two.
"You are making me nervous." The Seeker hisses at him when she feels him take her glass too, downing that as he has done his own. "I need you with a clear head if this is going to work." She adds looking into his face, anxious amber eyes look back at her.
"So all we have to do is make him angry? Then Daniel will destroy the vial?" The Commander asks leaning closer to her, Cassandra nods trying to reassure him. "That's all we have to do?" He asks again glancing around the room at the small groups of people that are talking and enjoying each others company.
"Yes, that's all." Cassandra huffs. It wasn't all at all, not even close. But she couldn't tell the Commander her and Daniel's real plan; she needed Cullen's reactions and feelings to be real and raw. If they had told him the whole plan he would have refused to help them and refused to get involved, that would mean the end for the Inquisitor if Daniel was right about his fate. "I need to get some fresh air.." The Seeker sighs thinking how stuffy and airless it is in the hall. She figured it was because all of the thick drapes that had been pulled around the room, making it darker so that they could light candles around the place.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Cullen asks quickly drinking the last drops from his glass, he places it down on the mantle of the fireplace showing her that he has finished his drink and happy to tag along.
"No, you stay here. I'll only be a moment. Just keep an eye on him." Lady Pentaghast nods in the rough direction of the Inquisitor giving the Commander a reassuring smile, she steps onto her tiptoes and leans in to place a kiss on his cheek making him blush beneath her mouth. "Make sure you know where he is." Cassandra adds as she steps away from Cullen and makes her way around the edge of the hall. She knew Lord Trevelyan would be watching her like a hawk and would intercept her, whichever door she exited through.
"Where are you going?" Cassandra hears Lord Trevelyan's voice behind her as she walks down the hallway towards the family dining room; she ignores him for a moment continuing to walk. The Seeker feels her heart begin to thump hard against her chest when she feels how quickly he moves to catch up with her. "I said where are you going, Cassandra." The Inquisitor stops in his tracks when she suddenly turns to face him.
"To clear my head." Lady Pentaghast replies gasping when Lord Trevelyan suddenly steps into her space, his hands moving to her waist as he backs her into the closed door as he tries to cover as much of her body with his as he can. "What are you doing?" Cassandra whispers letting her eyes move to his lips that he brings dangerously close to hers until she can feel his breath on her mouth. She feels the vial vibrating between their bodies when he presses against her, the blood magic reacting to his close proximity and the feelings it is feeding off of.
"Taking what is mine." The Inquisitor replies making Cassandra roll her eyes, this Inquisitor had no idea how to woo a lady but she had to get him riled up and the adrenaline running through his veins if their plan was to work. He was already angry but they needed him to be out of control with primal instincts.
Lady Pentaghast bites her lip again when she watches a smirk tug at his mouth. He wasn't her Inquisitor but he was still hot blood and flesh beneath her hands that she rests on his chest, and his body was as demanding as it always was for her to touch him.
"I'm not yours to take." The Seeker replies leaning her head forward to brush her lips gently against his open mouth, which draws a growl from him. She feels him wrap his hand around hers guiding it down his body to the place he was desperate for her to touch. Cassandra meets his eyes with hers, disappointed that the look of lust is the only familiar thing she sees. "So eager for me already, Lord Trevelyan?" Lady Pentaghast coos at him when she places her hand against the front of his breeches making him groan and drop his head.
"You'll need to do something about that." Lord Trevelyan groans again when she flattens her palm against him, Cassandra presses her mouth against his ear when she feels him arch his back at her touch. The Seeker watches him place his hands either side of her head, trapping her further with his body. He lifts his head as he drops his eyes to her lips before he leans forward to crush his mouth against hers possessively. The Inquisitor had seen her kiss Cullen's cheek and the vial was making him jealous.
The Seeker hears herself moan when he teases her tongue with his, berating herself for even allowing such noises to escape her. The Inquisitor that was so enthusiastically kissing her wasn't Ashton, it was just a manifestation of his rage and his lust for her. But his mouth felt the same and the way he was trying to undress her with such haste was too familiar. Cassandra watches him pull back from her so that he can begin shedding his clothes, he slowly undoes his shirt not removing his eyes from her.
"If you aren't mine why does your body say otherwise?" Lord Trevelyan licks his bottom lip smiling at her when she drops her eyes to his hands; he tugs his shirt off quickly pressing himself against her again.
He tangles his fingers in her hair directing her mouth to his again kissing her with such urgency The Seeker feels her legs are going to give out on her. Cassandra feels him groan against her mouth again when she places her hands on his hips rocking his body into hers, he moves his mouth to her neck panting against her skin.
"Inquisitor." Lady Pentaghast sighs and closes her eyes trying to remember that it isn't her lover that she is letting get dangerously close to her. "We should finish this later. Your guests will be wondering where you are." Cassandra adds when he takes both of her hands in his moving them to hold above her head so he can continue to kiss her throat. She feels him slip a leg between hers when he presses his body flush against her again, his hands moving back to slide beneath her blouse.
"Not later, now." The Inquisitor huffs against her skin again making her close her eyes; she moves her arms down to run her hands through his hair. She loved this man and would usually be very encouraging of his intentions, but he wasn't her Inquisitor. He wouldn't remember this when the rage was lifted and he wouldn't appreciate the knowledge that he could have hurt her when she put herself into this situation.
The Seeker closes her eyes again trying to ignore his demanding hands and mouth trying to remind herself that she wasn't being touched by Ashton, Daniel better be right that this would work.
"Only if we go upstairs," Cassandra whispers letting her fingers rest on the back of his neck. "Let's go upstairs, Inquisitor." The Seeker cries out quietly when he sinks his teeth into her shoulder. "Don't you want to please me?" Lady Pentaghast coos at him again trying to distract him from her throat with his mouth if he was intending on biting her again, a bit too hard for her liking. She feels him huff when she moves her hands to his bare shoulders, he lifts his head to fix his eyes on her.
"Of course." Lord Trevelyan replies flatly with not much enthusiasm, the rage and lust behind his eyes told her that his last thought was about pleasing her and more about fulfilling his most basic need for her body. Cassandra nods her head relieved that she has managed to convince him that in the hallway in his parent's estate is not the best place to be conducting such things.
"Let's go.." The Seeker whispers to him letting him watch as she bites her bottom lip, she forces his body away from her with her shoulder so she can move from beneath him. Lady Pentaghast holds her hand out to him as she meets his eyes with her, she sees him look down at her hand as if it is the most unusual concept he has ever seen. Cassandra hoped he wasn't about to throw her over his shoulder and carry her off to his bedroom like a savage Avvar. "Fine, no hand-holding. I get it. Now, let us go before I can no longer control myself around you." Lady Pentaghast replies sarcastically trying to ignore her want to trail his eyes over his chest.
The Seeker huffs slightly when he approaches her trying to be as close to her as he can and touch her, she holds her hand up stopping his movements. He moves to slip his hands around her waist that she bats away, placing her hand on his chest pushing him back from her.
"I will restrain those hands If I have to.." Cassandra gives him a little pretend giggle when she sees him smile, okay so maybe he liked the idea of a bit of restraining. She would have to remember that for future reference.
The Seeker grabs hold of his wrist when he tries to place his hands on her again, seeing that he wasn't going to listen to her warning and wasn't going to cooperate as easily as he could. The Seeker drags his arm around as she ducks under it, pulling his arm behind him so that it is held firmly in the middle of his back. Lady Pentaghast feels him struggle with not much vigour; they both knew he was much stronger than her but his body was still hurting from his attack. He stops struggling when she lifts his hand higher to put pressure on his shoulders but not enough to cause him pain.
"Behave yourself, Lord Trevelyan, at least until we get upstairs." Lady Pentaghast smiles when he groans when she slides her other hand down his stomach.
The Seeker leans her body into his back pushing him forward to walk down the hallway; she wondered what a state they looked to be in. Her lover, in a state of undress and, flushed, his arm pinned behind his back and being forced upstairs by Cassandra. She huffs with the effort of moving his mass with her own body, not realising until now that he was usually moving with her, not against her. The Seeker lifts his arm for good measure to remind him he can't struggle free.
"Viper." The Inquisitor spits at her when she shoves him forward as he starts to become more cooperative and shuffle his feet along the ground, he'd found a new name that he was intent on calling her when he was in this state. "I'm the Inquisitor, you shouldn't be handling me like this." He huffs as they begin to move past the doors of the dining room where the mourners are gathered.
"I've never heard you complain before." Cassandra laughs placing her other hand on his shoulder so she can get a good grip on him. When they have almost past the dining room, Cassandra quickly takes hold of the handle pushing the door open.
Before he can even realise what she is doing The Seeker shoves Lord Trevelyan into the dining room and the crowd of people behind the door. Lady Pentaghast slams the door shut behind him, locking it with the key so he can't escape. She hears him shouting and the people he was interrupted all shrieking and raising their voices in surprise when a half-naked Inquisitor falls through the door almost knocking them over. Cassandra hears his fists connecting with the door when she begins shouting her name. One Inquisitor successfully filled with lust and locked in the dining room.
"I'm sorry, the door won't open." Cassandra giggles when she hears him cursing her and everyone around him when they begin questioning if he is okay, The Seeker knows that will slow him down long enough to get back to the Commander and instigate part two of the plan. Cassandra knows that she only has a matter of minutes before he abandons trying to get out of this door and moves onto the next one.
"Thank the Maker, you are okay.." The Commander sighs when he has watches her slip back into the dining room through the other door and run around the edge of the room and back to where he is waiting for her. "What did you do to the Inquisitor?" Cullen asks looking at her face and then back to Lord Trevelyan that still bangs angrily on the door, ignoring the people around him trying to calm him down when he begins trying to pull the handle clear off the wood.
"Has he seen me yet?" The Seeker asks hurriedly, she watches Cullen look at her with concern before glancing back at Lord Trevelyan who has finished banging on the door and has glanced over his shoulder to see that she is back in the room with Cullen. The Commander nods his head slowly when he watches the Inquisitor's eyes lock on her, the anger at her tricking him clearly on his face when he turns to face them.
"He doesn't look happy." The Commander whispers "Seriously angry." He adds glancing over the top of Cassandra's head to look to the Inquisitor. "Is he angry enough to destroy the vial yet? Where is Daniel?" Cullen hisses leaning his head towards The Seeker so their conversation is more private while keeping his eyes on his friend in case he decides to bolt towards them.
"So many questions, Commander." Cassandra smiles at him only to receive a small but nervous smile from her friend in return. "Daniel is outside waiting for us.." She adds trying to fight the urge to look over her shoulder to see if Lord Trevelyan is as angry as Cullen is telling her.
"What do we do now?" He asks again when Cassandra drops her eyes to the floor for a moment trying to gather the courage to continue with the plan she and Daniel have come up with. She was risking Cullen as well as herself. "Cass, he has the vial." The Commander hisses when he spots the glass bottle clutched in the Inquisitor's hand.
"What?" The Seeker replies frowning, her hand moving to pat her pockets where she had been keeping the vial safe and out of the Inquisitor's hands. It had been humming aggressively when he had been touching her but she had failed to notice it was missing and he had pickpocketed her in the hallway.
"This is bad," Cullen whispers when Cassandra lets herself have one quick look at Lord Trevelyan. She watches him wrap the leather around his neck again, the vial settling flat against his chest. The Seeker quickly turns back to Cullen, suddenly feeling afraid that this plan wasn't going to work and she was going to end up losing both of them. "This is really bad." He adds his eyes moving to her hands that she places on his hips in an action that makes him look at her, trying to understand her touch.
"Do you trust me?" Cassandra asks when she meets her eyes with his; the warm comforting amber looks back at her but she can't help but notice the concern that is there too. "Cull, do you trust me?" The Seeker asks again trying to hurry an answer out of him when she notices his eyes have gone back to her hands at his waist. She wasn't sure how much time they had before the Inquisitor interrupted the pair.
"With my life." The Commander gives her a nod searching her face again trying to understand what she is going to ask him to do. Lady Pentaghast sighs; she wished this wasn't the easiest way to bring out the true rage in Lord Trevelyan. She wished there was another way that she could fuel his jealousy and possessive streak than what she was going to ask of Cullen. "What is it?" Cullen asks noticing her resolve wavering when she moves her hands to his chest, spreading her fingers into a fan against his shirt.
"You have to kiss me." The Seeker whispers fixing her eyes into his. "It's the only way." She turns her head away feeling ashamed when she sees that he looks shocked at her request and then hurt, she knew it was unfair of her to even ask him to agree to their plan.
"You would ask that of me, even when you know my feelings for you?" The Commander asks directing his own eyes to the Inquisitor who is watching their every move. "You know I would do anything for you." Cullen adds, raising his hand to place a finger beneath her chin, directing her face back to look at him. "Anything." He sighs before she watches him moisten his suddenly dry lips with his tongue.
"If there was another way.." Lady Pentaghast huffs quietly still feeling guilty for her request and feeling uncomfortable looking at him. She sees him just nod as he bites on his bottom lip, having his own internal battle over whether this is a good idea or not. Cassandra feels his hand move to take hers in his when he finally sets her eyes on his. "I don't want to hurt you." Cassandra whispers seeing him smile lightly.
"Daniel is waiting outside for us?" He whispers linking his fingers through hers. "Please don't put yourself at risk. If he gets angry enough to end this, I want you to keep out of his way." He adds as Cassandra nods, she knew that wouldn't be the case. If they wanted the Life and Blood Bond to be broken she was going to have to be at risk to the extent that she would be killed. Daniel had told her that the only way to break to vial's hold the Inquisitor was to use the contents, that meant someone had to die.
"No one needs to see us but Ashton." The Seeker nods, she knew that as soon as they moved out of the room he would be following them so they wouldn't need to draw any more attention to themselves, especially not in front of family and friends. His possessive feelings over her would compel him to not let The Commander and The Seeker out of his sight and his jealousy would make him fume.
"You owe me." Lady Pentaghast sees him nod with a small smile, she could see he wasn't convinced that this was a good idea or that it felt right for him to be agreeing to this especially when he was already struggling with his feelings for her. "You'll owe me so much that I'm going to remind you of this next time I want something." The Commander looks to her giving her a reassuring smile that he was okay. "You won't be able to say no.." Cullen moves his arm around her pulling her into his arms letting her rest her head against his chest.
"I think we should discuss these terms." Cassandra sighs feeling him hold her in a tight embrace, she lets him rest his head on top of hers when she smoothes her hands down his back. The Seeker knew that Lord Trevelyan would be watching their exchange and his temper wouldn't be kept at bay for much longer.
"Maybe when we get home?" The Commander smiles as he gently brushes his mouth against the top of her head, she sighs and closes her eyes trying to fend off the feeling of guilt and sadness that she is treating him so badly after all the times he has protected and cared for her. "Let's get some air Lady Pentaghast." Cullen whispers slowly removing his arms from around her; he holds his hand out to her again offering his palm to guide her outside with him.