Bull returned to the tavern accompanied by Dorian. The entire walk from Eostre's bedchamber to the tavern was uncomfortably silent. They had to admit, not only to each other but to themselves that maybe they had stayed a bit too long.
The raucous laughter in the tavern had quietened down a little as some of the patrons had decided to call it a night and retire to bed, whilst others had simply fallen asleep while they sat. Bull hunkered back down on the bench, downing his mug of ale, before reshuffling the neatly stacked cards.
Dorian took his place next to Bull, clutching a goblet of Antivan wine. Unlike Bull, Dorian enjoyed savouring the finer things in life, especially when it was an excellent vintage for unusually cheap. Krem appeared from the bottom of the stairs.
"There you are. Cole was saying some more stuff about the Inquisitor, then he smiled and wanted to go to bed. He's sound asleep now but…" Bull and Dorian held their breaths as Krem paused, "he asked me to sing to him."
Krem was quite confused from the sighs of relief that turned into laughter from Bull. Dorian was equally confused. "He asked you to sing?! I'm pretty sure you'll have given him nightmares."
Krem, unamused, took his seat oppose Bull. "Oh ha, just deal will you. You in pretty boy?" Dorian smirked, it had been a good few years since he had last played cards, and even longer since he was called pretty boy.
The storm finally passed in the early hours of the morning and an almost serene calm fell upon Skyhold for the first time since the Inquisition had moved in. Cullen slowly blinked awake, his eyes adjusting to the blinding sunlight which filled the room.
He sat up slowly, subtly confused by his surroundings. "This isn't my chamber," he thought as he swung himself around and slowly got out of bed. He stretched, his body stiff and took in his surroundings.
Within a few minutes, he realised where he was. He glanced back to the bed where he saw the still sleeping Eostre. Her back and neck were awash with marks of their incredibly passionate encounter. "Maker … what hap-."
His thoughts were interrupted by memories of the night before, which he had believed all to be a marvellous yet vivid dream.
How he wished he could have stayed with her longer, but he had to leave. He dressed, leaving a soft kiss on Eostre's cheek which caused her to wake. She rolled over to face Cullen, smiling coquettishly as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I was hoping you would be spending more time together, that the world could wait a few more hours." Cullen chuckled, kissing Eostre on the lips before reluctantly pulling away. As much as he wanted to stay with her, he had to leave.
The gentle silence echoed throughout the tower as Cullen walked down the stairs, trying his best not to make any noise as he passed the quarters of the others. Reaching the Great Hall, he weaved his way quietly through the various sleeping forms.
From the upper gallery, Vivienne watched. She had been observing the sunrise when the faint sound of a door opening had distracted her. Cullen and Vivienne briefly met each other's gaze, exchanging a gentle nod and nothing else.
Vivienne retired to her chaise longue, pouring herself a cup of tea and preparing to welcome a new day. Although she had been the one to prompt the otherwise miserable Commander to see Eostre, she didn't have the faintest idea about the events which followed.