Ellana stood at the gates of Skyhold, holding back tears as she watched Cullen and Cassandra ride off into the Frostback Mountains. Varric stood beside her and gave a comforting smile, attempting to lift her mood. "They'll be alright."

Gently nodding, her mind was unraveling; would she regret this? They had only just returned to Skyhold from the Winter Palace a few days ago – how could she lose him again for another four weeks? Ellana reached out and pulled his fur cloak tighter; a piece of him that he had left behind.

"Won't you need it?" She had asked him, in concern.

"It will bring me great pleasure knowing that it is wrapped around your shoulders on cold nights, keeping you warm while I cannot." He whispered to her through broken kisses.

Ellana sighed and shifted her gaze upon Skyhold. She didn't like being the one left behind…

…. Two Days Earlier…

Ellana had returned to Skyhold and immediately retired to her private quarters for a warm bath to remove the day's worries from her skin. What a long day! She was exhausted and looking forward to some peaceful quietness. A light tap on the door had her cringing in fear of an impromptu War Room meeting. Luckily, it was Cullen who slowly opened the door and sheepishly grinned before casting his eyes in a different direction, attempting to find some modesty upon finding her bathing.

"I'll uh – I can come back…" he started to retreat from her room.

"Cullen!" she called out while laughing, "come over here!"

He closed the door and walked towards her with a deep blush spreading across his face, eyes glued to the floor.

"Are they so interesting? The floorboards," she was teasing him – "that you would prefer to stare at them, while there is a woman bathing before you?"

He gave a deep chuckle and sat down in a nearby chair, setting his gaze intensely on her eyes. She leaned forward and make a calling motion with her finger, luring him over to the tub.

It produced a raised and intrigued eyebrow. "Really?"

"Do I have to ask twice?" she purred.

He was quickly removing his armor and clothing, stepping in to join her in the tub. After he was settled, she turned her back towards him and curled into his frame; his arms reached out to wrap around her. Leaning her head back on his chest, she closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. She could feel him pressed up against her lower back; he was soft… meaning that he was nervous and unsure of where this was to go.

"I am sorry, Cullen." She began to lightly trace her fingers on his forearm, "about everything. I feel awful for some of the things I said to you these past few weeks."

"It is understandable," he mumbled into her hair, "why you would be concerned about those things. It's… not fair how strong half-elves resemble the human parent. I don't know what to say other than I understand why you are hurt. It's a hurtful topic."

"Yes but… I should have spoken with you about it. Instead, I yelled at you – and in front of all our friends. Cullen, I'm so sorry. You were right, I was treating you like the enemy when I should have been coming to you as a partner. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course." He placed a light kiss on the back of her head. "Do you want to talk about it? Your concerns…" he nervously trailed off.

She quietly considered how to bring her thoughts to words. "I just want to feel as though I'm passing on a part of being Dalish to them – not only being an Elf; specifically, being Dalish. It's something that I am so proud of. I would want my children to learn to hunt, to track, to know the stories of our ancient Gods."

"I think that's wonderful." He brushed her arm with his thumb.

"Doesn't it contradict what your Chantry teaches?" She nervously approached the topic.

"It does." He chuckled, "but they also say I should be consuming lyrium right now to have Templar abilities and be stationed at a Circle – or on the hunt for apostate mages. By the way… I really have been neglecting those duties as of late; have you seen any recently? Apostate mages?" he teasingly tickled her side.

"Cullen!" she shouted in between shrieks of laughter, "stop tickling me!"

He pulled her back into a hug, "Yes, it goes against what the Chantry teaches but I no longer care. I believe in the Maker and of Andraste – and would like my children to be educated in such beliefs, but I will not force myself to abide by what the Chantry declares as absolute. Why can a child not be educated in both the Will of the Maker and of Dalish culture?"

"Cullen…" Ellana could feel tears of happiness welling in her eyes.

"Unless," he jokingly raised an eyebrow – "do you see us all living outside in a camp… permanently?"

"No." Ellana giggled, "I've become quite accustomed to your inside dwellings; it is the one shemlen tradition for which I will not fault you."

"I shall have to take on a few extra jobs then if you'd like me to buy us a castle, my lady." He was jesting.

"Not a castle," she laughed and quieted her voice… "I've become quite partial to log houses, actually… perhaps a cabin."

"Ah," he smiled. "Well then, you are in luck; for there are many of those in Ferelden… many indeed."

"Perfect." She lightly traced her fingers down the side of his leg underneath the water and felt him quickly harden against her lower back. Shifting her head up to look at him, she purred into his neck, "I'm not sure that you should let me off so easily for my bad behavior… perhaps I should spend some time trying to make it up to you tonight?"

Smiling, he closed his eyes and leaned back into the tub as she began to turn towards him.

Ellana found herself eager to take away some of his stress and worry for the evening; eager to convey how much she loved and cared for this man.

…The Next Morning…

"The Commander wants me to what?" Ellana laughed at the soldier before her.

"He would like to resume your combat training… that's what I've been asked to gather you for."

Ellana raised an eyebrow. She had been training several times a day with Silvhen, learning to master the necromancy skill. Combat training with Cullen had not been required in – well, since before Corypheus. Why would he be sending one of his men to her chambers this morning to gather her for a session?

"In the back courtyard – if you please, Inquisitor." The soldier bowed and promptly left.

Ellana was certainly curious to find out what the Commander was up to, and so she quickly began to make her way towards the back of the castle, stopping off to grab her blades.

She turned the corner of the castle and saw him standing in the middle of the field – sword and shield in sight. His lips broke into a large grin upon seeing her and he waved her over.

"What is this?" she laughed.

"Your training. It's been a while." He smirked.

Ellana raised an eyebrow. "Against the Red Templars? Is this still necessary?"

"Improvement is always necessary."

What in Creator's name was he playing at? "Okay… I'll bite." She laughed and drew her blades from their carriers. "I do however think this is one big ploy to get me on top of you; may I remind you that you're no longer required to use those little excuses… you may simply ask me, if you'd like to be straddled." She winked.

Cullen chuckled and drew his sword, "I assure you, that is not my reasoning; and I have a feeling that you will lose this one."

Ellana pounced towards him and met his sword with a large clang of her blade. She spun to the right, hoping to catch him off guard, yet was met with his shield – quickly pulled up to block his face. Dodging another swing, she jumped back and steadied herself on the ground.

"Where are those quick little knives of yours?" he taunted.

Ellana laughed. "I find myself no longer wanting to mess up your face. I'm rather fond of it these days."

"Don't make it easy on me!" Cullen laughed and charged at her again.

They battled for a few more moments before Ellana ducked down, attempting to pull her old tricks by swinging her foot around his ankle, causing him to trip. He was prepared for it and swung back his arm – causing her to stumble before quickly regaining his footing. Ellana was getting a little flustered; clearly, he wasn't taking it easy on her. Alright – she would fight back.

The first knife came quickly towards him from his right; blocking it with his shield, he laughed in approval. "There she is."

Ellana rolled her eyes and lunged at him again. Just as she was preparing to dive to the left and sneak behind him, Cullen locked eyes with her and whispered: "Marry me." Ellana startled at his words and left herself open for him to crash his sword up into her wrists, disarming her of her weapons. He quickly dropped his shield, using his free hand to grab hold of her wrists and gathered them above her head. He backed her up into a column and raised his sword to her neck. Smirking at his victory – he had her pinned.

"Cullen…" she was breathing heavily, heart racing uncontrollable in her chest – "and you accuse me of dirty tactics… that is… certainly one way to catch me off guard." Was he joking? Her mind was reeling, attempting to sort through the seriousness in all of this.

He dropped his sword, throwing it on the ground nearby and released her hands. Instead, he held each of her hands within his own, intertwining their fingers and moving close to stare directly into her eyes. Ellana could feel his fingers lightly trembling; 'He's not joking… this is real.'

"After," he cleared his throat – "after we find a cure for Avexus – I know having her there as herself would be important to you, so… after we find a cure… would you? Marry me."

Ellana could no longer hold back the flow of tears. She threw her arms around him and placed her lips against his neck. "Yes. Cullen, I would love nothing more than to marry you."

…..

Later that evening, Cassandra had knocked on Ellana's door and requested her and Cullen in the War Room. Any frustration by their late-night intrusion was quickly released upon hearing the reason for Cassandra calling a meeting: she had information on how to proceed with reversing the Rite of Tranquility.

"What have you found?" Ellana anxiously awaited Cassandra's next words.

"The Book of Secrets speaks of gathering aid from a spirit."

Ellana furrowed her brow. "A spirit?"

"Yes," Cassandra continued. "A Tranquil's mind must be touched by a spirit. The difficulty lies in encouraging a spirit to do such, as there is no benefit for them to focus on a mage who has lost their connection to the Fade."

"I see…" Ellana anxiously bit her bottom lip, "does the book speak on how to convince a spirit to do this?"

"It is suggested that a spirit medium could enter the Fade and convince a spirit to reach across the gap between the Fade to touch the Tranquil's mind."

"A spirit medium?" Ellana mumbled, "Damnit! Solas could have…"

"I thought of that as well." Cassandra interjected – "However it does not appear to be an option to us, at this time. I have reached out to some of the remaining Seekers and have a lead on a spirit medium's location. Actually, Leliana is somewhat familiar with them…"

"I am?" Leliana glanced towards Cassandra in surprise.

"Cullen – you may remember his mother, as well. His name is Rhys and he is the son to a greatly respected mage named Wynne."

"Maker's Breath!" Leliana's eyes widened. "Quite a coincidence."

"Wynne… that sounds familiar." Ellana brought her fingers to her temples in thought. "She was stationed at the Kinloch Circle when I was thrown back in the Fade. Leliana, how do you know her?"

"She travelled with the Hero of Ferelden and I during the events of the Blight." Leliana fondly smiled.

"That's perfect," Ellana was hopeful. "Can you write to her and ask for her son to meet with us?"

Leliana's eyes lowered, "Wynne passed away a few years ago."

"Oh," Ellana lowered her eyes as well – "I'm sorry, Leliana."

"Do you have any information on her son? Is he likely to help us?" Josephine quietly placed a hand on Leliana's shoulder.

"I knew she had a son, but have no other information on him. Cassandra, do you know where he is?"

"Possibly – " Cassandra nodded. "He was a senior enchanter at the White Spire Circle before the events from the Conclave. One of my contacts heard rumors of his appearance near Val Firmin. I suggest we go there, first thing tomorrow to search for him."

"I agree." Ellana nodded.

Cassandra nervously glanced at her. "Inquisitor… I was thinking that it's not in our best interest for you to depart from Skyhold so shortly after your return. You've been away for almost two months and then we've almost declared war with Orlais… you may want to remain here for a little while to demonstrate your presence."

"She is correct." Leliana joined in, "It won't look good for you to take off for another few weeks."

"I'd also caution against your appearance in Orlais for a little while…" Josephine smiled.

"It sounds as though you three have already decided." Ellana coldly glanced at them, "how am I to not be involved in something like this?"

"You will trust the task to myself and the Commander." Cassandra glanced towards Cullen, "I see the benefit in a small group, moving undetected through Orlais, to find Rhys and make contact."

"Is Rhys not with the rebel mages? Is it a good idea to have Cullen join you?" Ellana didn't like the idea of throwing him into danger with the rebel mages.

"True, he voted in favor of the mage rebellion. I do however believe that we can reason with him. Leliana can write a letter – endorsing us as friends to Wynne and representatives of the Inquisition; allies with Fiona and the mages. In my opinion, this is our best shot." Cassandra stood back, waiting for Ellana's response.

"What do you think?" She turned to Cullen.

He brushed his hand against her back and smiled, "I do not like the idea of leaving you for a few weeks, however I agree with Cassandra. This sounds like the best course of action."

Ellana let out a sigh of defeat. "This will be a new feeling for me. I don't think I'll enjoy being left behind…"

Walking out of the War Room that evening, Ellana felt exhausted and nervous about the idea of Cullen leaving for a mission while she remained behind.

"Everything will be fine." His hand wrapped around her waist, rubbing light circles into her side.

"I'll miss you – " Pulling him in for a kiss, she whispered, "terribly."

Cullen's hands began to roam across her back, slowly making their way down to her backside. "I'll be gone for a little while, you know…" His mouth broke into a smirk.

"I know you will." Chuckling, Ellana knew exactly what he was getting at, yet wanted to make him work for it a little bit.

He leaned in to place a batch of light, hot kisses on her neck, sending a trail of tingles up Ellana's spine. On second thought – screw making him work for it. "Take me to your room then, Commander."

His arms quickly scooped her up, beginning to carry her through the main hall of Skyhold towards his quarters. Ellana blushed and giggled as they passed Inquisition scouts and Varric. She looked at Cullen and found him bashfully grinning, all too willing to show off his soon-to-be-bride and how he would carry her that evening – the night of their wedding.

Cullen placed her down gently onto the bed, lightly caressing her chin with his thumb. His hand moved to the faint black lights branching out on her cheekbones, tracing and stroking her vallaslin. "I love this about you," he whispered. Ellana smiled, gazing up at him with hazy eyes. His touch felt electrifying.

Slowly, his hand traced her jawline until his thumb was placed on her neck, brushing the inked skin and finding the beginning of her vallaslin. Leaning down, he placed a light kiss on her neck before turning it into something more – Ellana could feel his warm tongue inching down the trail of her markings, slowly nibbling and tracing the faint black lines. In between her breasts, his tongue nipped and licked at the thin layer of skin while his hands rolled over her, calloused thumbs teasing her nipples. "Oh," she gasped – feeling her face flush.

His mouth moved down the thin lines covering her stomach, hands sliding down the sides of her body to trace the curves of her waist and hips. His thumb massaged small circles around her hipbones, following the delicate lines as they twirled and looped around her skin, mouth placing teasing pecks. "Cullen," she whined.

"Patience, my love." He whispered into her goose bumped skin, moving down her leg to following her vallaslin before it ended on top of her foot. Switching to the other leg, his mouth trailed upwards now – devouring her skin, hot tongue following the stencil laid out for him. Licking at the other side of her hip, moving up her stomach, in between her beasts, nipping once more at her neck. Finally, his lips grabbed her into a kiss.

"I don't want to be patient." Ellana whispered, causing a chuckle to escape his lips.

"I'm merely appreciating your beautiful body, my love." He placed a hot kiss on her ear.

Ellana moaned, throwing her head back and causing him to chuckle, "What would you like of me, then?"

"Take me roughly." She bit down on her lip.

His eyes narrowed in an excited grin. "That's what you want?"

Ellana's eyes widened and she felt wetness pool between her legs. "Yes…" she whispered, nipping at his bottom lip.

Suddenly, he pulled back from her and stood at the end of the bed. "On your knees."

Ellana's heart skyrocketed. That voice – his Commander voice, it did unspeakable things to her below the waist.

…..

The next morning, Ellana stood at the gates of Skyhold watching Cullen and Cassandra ride off towards Val Firmin.

"They'll be alright." Varric flashed a smile up towards Ellana.

"I just hope they return shortly…" she whispered, while pulling Cullen's fur tightly around her neck and closing her eyes to breath in his scent. She brought her left hand to her face and lightly placed her lips against the small gold ring that was now placed upon her finger. No one had noticed it yet; it was their little secret.