Val Royeaux

She had planned on going alone. Of course, it hadn't worked out that way. None of her plans had of late. The Conclave had gone to shit, her brother's rescue even more so, and her plan to face the Chantry alone had been thrown to the wind. Why did I ever think I could keep him away? The thought had plagued her since they left Haven. There was no way to keep her brother from the fighting, the war, or Templars. Not anymore.

In their last council meeting she argued feverishly against Aiden traveling to Val Royeaux, but she had been outnumbered. Josephine and Leliana both thought it a good idea for her brother to go in an effort to show the Chantry the true face of the Herald.

And what are they hoping they'll see? A young boy, that was all he was; not the murderer, or traitor they painted him as. Just a boy. The real question had been whether, or not the Chantry would see that. From what she had seen, she was sure some had, but others, they only saw a threat.

All too quickly their excursion at turned sour. Aiden and the Seeker had been arguing with one of the Mother's that had been waiting for them. Her brother had done well. He recited everything just as they practiced. There'd been no hint of fear in his voice as he argued for the Inquisition's innocence and his own. That is until the Lord Seeker and his templars had appeared. Within minutes they managed to assault the speaking Mother and stab fear deep into her brother's heart. Aiden was reduced to a muttering fool when the Lord Seeker addressed him. Seeing him, afraid and wordless, made her blood boil and the spirit rage.

'Kill them and be done with it,' it demanded. 'The less of them in the world the better.'

It was a ridiculous notion, but tempting nonetheless. There was no love in her heart for the Order and yet, killing them outright would do nothing but harm the Inquisition and, in turn, her brother. She couldn't blame the spirt though, it merely wanted to eradicate a threat.

Hidden amongst the crowd, Ela watched as the Lord Seeker cut at Cassandra, Aiden, and the crowd with his word. They were laden with hate. It made her worry. The Templars could overwhelm they if they attacked. She knew she could do little to stop them without the Spirit's help. Underneath her cloak she loosened her sword in its scarab.

Kata scoffed at her side. His crimson eyes were locked on the Lord Seeker with an intensity she rarely saw. He wanted to kill him. Ela took a deep breath. At least one of them needed to stay calm. She took his forearm in hand and gave him a reassuring squeeze.

When the Lord-Seeker removed himself from the wooden stage, Cassandra moved after the armor-clad man, determination in every step. The two argued, venom dripping from the Lord-Seeker's words. It was clear he would not budge; the Inquisition would find no support in him. When the Lord Seeker turned his gaze on Aiden, her brother's eyes widened. Then with an order, Templars began filing into the courtyard.

Her body tensed.

Aiden took a step backward, stiff and fearful, and Ela took a step forward. The templars were numerous, but some seemed doubtful; their eyes ticked between the Lord Seeker and the odd group before them. Uncertainty laid in their eyes and she knew they could be swayed. The Inquisition needed men, even if some were Templars and maybe she could defuse the situation. Send their attention to her at least instead of Aiden.

Ela took another step forward and another, yanking back the hood that covered her face. Kata grabbed for her hand, but she yanked it away. She thought of the Seeker, of the Commander. If any of these Templars were like them, they would see reason. They would join. Her heart pounded in her chest, fear in every muscle, but she kept forward head held high until she stood even with her brother.

Before she could stop herself, she was pleading with them to see reason. To join as the Commander had done. It did little to sway them and they were gone before she could get another word out. Leaving the citizens speechless and the Inquisition empty handed.

"Charming fellow, isn't he?" Varric quipped from her side.

"Has Lord Seeker Lucius gone mad?" Gasped Cassandra, her face painted in shock.

"Do you know him well?" Kata asked moving to join them. He wasn't looking at the Seeker though. He was glaring at Ela, his eyebrows furrowed in disapproval. She shied away from his gaze.

"He took over the Seekers of Truth two years ago, after Lord Seeker Lambert's death. He was always a decent man, never given to ambition and grandstanding. This is very bizarre."

"Can he be reasoned with?"

"I hope so," said Cassandra. "If not him, there are surely others in the Order who don't feel as he does. Either way, we should first return to Haven and inform the others."

"I agree." Ela undid the clasp that held her cloak closed and threw it over her arm. The iron pin they'd given her depicting the sword and eye shone on her breast in the sunlight. There was no need for secrecy any longer. If it wasn't obvious that she was with Inquisition before, it was obvious now.

Aiden stirred at her side, his eyes cloudy and far off. "Are you okay?" She asked looking down at him.

Her brother nodded slowly, but made no words. As much as she wanted to press the situation, she knew it would do no good. She brushed a stray strand of hair from his face and turned to follow the Seeker out of the city, plans for a hot bath forming in her head. And when she was just able to imagine sinking into a tub filled with sweet smelling oils, an arrow thudded at her feet.

Instinctively, she made to draw her sword, but the note tied to the shaft caught her attention. She searched for an archer, but found none. Against, Kata and the Seeker's wishes she followed the notes to each new location, until she had the full message.

After they had gathered all the scattered notes a man approached them offering an invitation from a Madame de Fer. Then, the rebel mage Fiona found them at the gates.

The entire interaction felt awkward and forced. As if the woman was luring them to a trap at Redcliff, but she pushed the thought away, sure that it was just her paranoia. When they parted ways, she was more amiable to the thought of gaining the mages help. They were a more tempting option than the Templars. A much safer option.

The arrow interested her more than anything. Its obscure message confused and intrigued her, but, after finding the other clues, all the others saw was a trap. She and the Seeker argued for hours about what to do with the information. One always coming up with another point to trump the others. Eventually, they made an agreement. Before following any of the invitations, they would head back to Haven to discuss with the others.

Ela sat in her shared tent, the notes and invitations on her mind. Wondering what she would find and what kind of people waited for them.

"The mages are our best bet for closing the Breach." Leliana stated crossing her arms. "They are the only ones who have enough magic to help the Herald."

"The templars would serve just as well," argued Cullen, he leaned against the table gripping its sides with as much force as he could muster. His head pounded and he felt himself sway from the pain. They had been arguing for half the day and were getting nowhere. Ever since Ela and her brother had returned from Val Royeaux there had been a renewed vigor over who to go to for support. Cullen hated the arguing. It was only amplifying his headache and the lyrium withdrawal wasn't helping, but he dared not be silent on the matter.

Pouring more magic into the Breach will just make things worse. Why can't they see that?

From across the table Ela groaned as well, rolling her neck in a circle. She had decided to stay till they came to a decision, sending the Herald off to bed in the meantime. The woman was set on asking the mages for help. Her distrust for Templars ran deep and it became clearer and clearer by the moment.

"I don't understand why we are still arguing," she scoffed, her plump lips twisting into a scowl. "Aiden will be safer if we go with the mages." Slim hands rubbed at the back of her neck. Her hair was loose and black tresses cascaded down her chest and around her frowning face. It was abnormal for her. As was her garb. She had forgone her armor tonight; instead, choosing a black blouse tucked neatly into brown breeches with tall black boots.

Cassandra uttered a response, but her voice was hum in the background. Cullen's gaze lowered, following the line of Ela's hair taking in the rare sight. Soft curls fumbled all the way down to her hips. They brushed gracefully against her chest – where the blouse strained ever so slightly with each breath – and…. Maker's breath. He bit his lips and clenched his eyes shut. Without the armor, her curves – the roundness of her hips – were much harder to ignore.

Guilt burned in his stomach. He hoped no one noticed. Leliana especially, she would never let him live it down.

He tried his best to treat Ela with respect, to look at her respectfully, but his eyes wandered more than they should have. It was getting harder and harder to ignore his feelings. Improper as they were, whenever she was around, they would worm into his brain and he felt helpless to stop them. Shifting his gaze to the table, he tried to collect his thoughts.

Now is not the time to be distracted.

"The Herald could be safe with the Templars as well." He continued earnestly. "The mages may have abominations among their ranks, we would be able to do little to contain them. Templars cannot be corrupted so easily. They could weaken the magic in the area and allow the Herald to close the Breach."

"We don't know that," Leliana began.

"I do," he cut her off before she could say more. "I was a templar. I know what they can do."

"As do I, Commander," Ela growled, amethyst eyes boring into him. Her tone turned his blood cold. "They do their best to keep mages under their thumbs and any that resist they flatten. And those that elude them, they hunt feverishly, like hounds. These Templars at the end of this could turn on us, they could try to force Aiden under their control. I won't have my brother subjected to that."

He shook his head gritting his teeth. "Not all templars are like the one's you've encountered. If they join us, we can place them under our watch. I won't…we won't let them do your brother any harm."

"I've heard that promise before," Ela snapped crossing her arms. "All the others failed, so I'm not inclined to take your protection seriously."

The retort stung. He should have expected it, he knew, but it still stung. Her words cut deeper, felt more personal, than the others. She didn't just distrust Templars, no…she hated them. Maybe she hated him too.

"It does not look as if we will be able to come to a decision tonight, after all." Josephine sighed, placing her writing board atop the table. "We still have the invitation from the mages. If you and the Herald go to Redcliffe and see what they have to say, we can make our decision afterword and it will give us time to decide how to approach the Templars if need be."

Cullen nodded reluctantly. Josephine had a point. They had been arguing long enough and spending another hour bickering would do nothing. The Herald had been set away long ago and they needed to eat and sleep, whether they believed it or not.

"I'll go to Redcliffe," Ela agreed. "I have to go to question this Warden anyway. But I'll do it after I talk to this Madame de Fer and meet our mystery archer."

"You're going?" Cassandra asked in disbelief.

Ela gave a nod and shouldered a cloak on, a grin on her beautiful face. "As you all have said we must build up our ranks. I am hoping I can find a few new agents."

"You don't know who, or what could be waiting for you," snapped Cullen, his tone harsher than he meant. "It could be an ambush. You would lead your brother into that?"

"No, I would not," Ela stated sharply. "I plan on going alone."

"That's even more absurd." He blurted. "At least take Varric, or Cassandra with you."

"If they consent to it." Ela eyed the Seeker with a raised eyebrow. "I won't beg though."

Cassandra grunted unhappily. "I'd rather not walk into an ambush, but I won't let you go alone."

"Thank you, Cassandra."

Cullen eyed them curiously. Ever since their return from the Hinterlands, the two of them had begun agreeing and talking more and more. It was only a matter of time before the two women became friends, they had more in common than they knew. As glad as he was for it, he was jealous of their newfound closeness, and he couldn't rightly say why.

"When you've arrived in Orlais, send word." Leliana ordered. "If we don't hear back from you in a week's time, we will assume the worst."

Ela nodded in agreement, and with a curt goodbye left the room.

Cullen rubbed at his throbbing head with a gloved hand. His headache had worsened and he knew his sleep would be fitful. Gathering his papers, he made to leave the room, when Leliana stopped him.

"Cullen, are you alright?"

He nodded carelessly. "Yes, just a headache and an empty stomach," he assured her. "I'll be fine once I get some food."

"That isn't what I meant." Leliana chuckled lightly. "You seemed very frustrated with our mercenary captain."

Heat rose to his face as quick as a bolt and he scratched at the back of his head. "I don't know what you mean. I just need food."

Leliana smiled coyly and shrugged her shoulders. "As you say, Commander. However, if you all have time there is something I would like to discuss." She pulled a rolled parchment from her sleeve and passed it to Cassandra.

"I don't see the purpose of this Leliana," said Cassandra placing the report down.

"Of course you don't, you like her now," Leliana teased. "But she is a mystery to us, a mystery that needs to be solved. If she is to work with us, we have to know who we are aligning ourselves with."

"What do you mean?" Cullen asked setting his papers back down.

Josephine cleared her throat softly. "We must figure out where the Hearld and his sister are from," she explained carefully. "If Ela and Aiden have a known reputation somewhere else in the world, it will affect the Inquisition greatly. It could stop us from gaining allies, or help us. Our reputation is dependent on theirs."

"Is it really?" He rubbed at the back of his neck. He was exhausted and this conversation was not one he felt like having.

"It is. That's why we need to find information about them before someone else does. If our enemies obtain information painting them in a poor light, it will affect us." Josephine stressed.

"What do you intend to do?" Cassandra asked crossing her arms.

"Eliminate the potential for rumors to spread." Leliana said pointedly. "We cannot allow anything to harm us so early on."

Josephine cleared her throat. "We can use bribes, or offer assistance, or promises of assistance in the future to both obtain information about them, and suppress any information that may be…unseemly."

"And stop those who will not head our warnings." Leliana added.

"So, you're going to kill anyone that talks." Cullen grunted looking at Leliana from hooded eyes.

"Only if they try to oppose us."

Josephine sighed.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ela must have said something to you about where they came from," he said eyeing Cassandra.

"No." She crossed her arms. "The woman is as secretive as ever. Why would you think I know anything?"

"I only assumed, because you two seem…well close."

"Ha," Leliana gave a devilish grin. "I think our Commander is jealous."

"I am not," he protested. "I just thought she would have talked to someone, anyone by now. It's been nearly three months."

Josephine shrugged, "I doubt this is her first time being in such a situation. We should look for other ways to get information. And, please, if she says anything that could be of help, do not push her. Just tell me or Leliana, we will do our best to get it sorted.

He grumbled his agreements and left for his tent. He rubbed at his head. It felt as if someone was squeezing his brain between their fists. The light of the torches seemed to burn into his eyes, too bright and too overbearing. His eyes clamped shut at their assault. Shoving the door to the Chantry open, the cold air of Haven welcomed him into the night.

He sighed with relief. The sun that had hung high in the air when they had begun their meeting was gone now. Only the Breach remained. It's sickly green light painting everything incorrectly. Another pang bloomed in his head.

"Maker's Breath," he whispered grasping at his forehead. He took a deep breath in.

"Headaches, Commander?" Ela's voice was rich and much kinder than it had been moments before. His stomach fluttered at the sound. He turned to find her leaning against the Chantry under a lighted torch, a small book in hand.

"Unfortunately," he admitted softly.

Ela slapped the book shut and tucked it into a pocket. "I can't imagine our bickering helped." She moved off the wall and placed herself in front of him. "Though I won't apologize," she mentioned crossing her arms.

"I don't expect you too. I understand your fears, but, please, let's not talk of that now. I've had quite enough arguing for one night." He left more unsaid. The want to apologize for their disagreement scratched at the back of his mind. But what did it matter? She most likely detested him anyway.

"As have I," she sighed dropping her arms. "I have quite enough of that elsewhere."

"What are you doing still out here anyway?" He asked. "I gave you a new batch of recruits for tomorrow morning, didn't I?"

Ela scoffed, "Maker I forgot what having an actual boss is like. Yes, you did and I will be there don't worry. I'm here because I need a favor." His heart skipped a beat.

Cullen straightened his back. "How can I help?" He inquired without hesitation.

The corner of her lip raised in a smirk and one of her eyebrows raised at his sudden attention. He felt his cheeks warm. Thank the Maker it was so dark, hopefully she wouldn't see the blush coming over him.

"I would like to train with you," she explained. "I am a bit out of practice when it comes to fighting Templars and there are literal hordes of them in the Hinterlands. And after Val Royeaux, well…it just seems smart to refamiliarize myself."

"I can assist with that." He motioned for her to follow him and headed toward Haven's gates. "We can train whenever you are in Haven, after we are done with our duties in the morning of course."

Ela gave a nod. She fell in step with him and folded her hands behind her back. "That will work fine for me. My days are lighter thanks to Solas."

"I saw he was training the Herald."

"Yes, he's been invaluable," the woman beamed, "Aiden has taken quite a liking to him too. He's proven quite impressive."

Cullen felt a tinge of jealousy. Does she prefer elves? He banished the thought. It's none of my business. "I am glad the Herald is feeling more comfortable."

"As am- ohh." He glanced over to see her yawning. She covered her mouth with slender fingers. Her long eyelashes fluttering softly. He hadn't realized earlier, but there were dark circles under her eyes. The want grew from a scratch to a pounding. "Apologies," she gave a huff and wiped at her eyes. "I think I should turn in. Well, thank you, Commander." Giving him a wave, she turned to leave. "I will see you –"

"Wait," Cullen reached for her arm, but stopped himself short not wanting to invade her space. Ela froze where she was and threw him glance over her shoulder. Meeting her gaze, his previous though flew from his mind. His head gave another brutal throb. "I, uh, I wanted to tell you something."

She turned fully to face him; her head cocked ever so slightly to the side. Her curls fumbled from the change in position. They shone beautifully in the light of the Breach. The green and black contrasted her eyes perfectly. "What is it Commander?"

He closed his outstretched head and clamped his eyes shut as he tried to find his thought. "In the meeting…I hope you don't think me cruel," he said finally. "I want what's best for the Herald as well, I truly do. Whatever decision we make, I will respect it. I swear." He opened his eyes finally to see she had moved closer to him. Within his reach. Her eyes flicked between his, concern etched into her face.

"Commander…are you sure you are all right?"

A lump raised in his throat. Cullen swallowed hard as his breath quickened. He made to answer but stopped when she raised a hand toward him. The smell of honey and lavender touched his nose.

Is that her perfume?

Lightly, graciously, she touched the back of her hand to his forehead.

"You feel a little warm," she whispered, "you should go rest. Don't worry about the meeting. I know you mean well. If I didn't, I wouldn't have stayed when you asked me to." She gave him the sweetest of smiles and he noticed for the first time she had dimples. "Goodnight, Commander." Pulling away, she gave him a light pat on his arm where his armor left him exposed. He felt as if his inside were melting.

"Cullen," he corrected quickly. His stomach pulled into knots and he his head felt light. "And I, I will," he stammered. "I promise." She gave another wave and turned heading toward her cabin tucked behind the trees. He watched her go, heart pounding in his chest all the while.

Maker preserve me. He thought of training with her tomorrow. How close they would be, how exposed he would be to her gaze. The sudden realization that he might look like a fool in front of her dawned on him. Cullen rushed inside his tent and sat on his cot.

He was attracted to her he knew. He'd known it for a while. But this, this was much worse. Burying his head in his hands, he admonished himself. How in Andraste's name had he fallen in love with a mage…and worse yet, the Herald's sister.

Andraste's tits. I have to get it together.

He laid back on his cot, not caring to remove his armor or attend to the reports he had left to finish. No, his mind was too far gone now…but at least his headache was gone.