Wincing in pain, Eostre timidly lowered herself into the copper tub which sat in her chamber, in front of the fireplace. The fire was helping to keep the water warm.

A shudder passed down her spine as the water lapped at her skin, causing the superficial cuts to sting slightly. Her injuries were minor which was lucky for someone who had just had to go toe to toe with a dragon.

Eostre left out a gasp of pure delight and daintily closed her eyes, embracing the warmth of the water and slowly allowing herself to relax. She laid her head back with her arms resting over the edge of the bath. A knock at her door caused her to let out a small groan of annoyance.

"You may wish to come back later, I am hardly in a decent state to be receiving visitors." She heard the door open and close, "you are in a decent enough state to receive me I should think." A smile crossed her face as she heard Cullen's voice. "My love."

With her eyes still closed, she could hear him lock the door then his footsteps make their way up the stairs. "So, Lady Trevelyan, not only are you the Herald of Andraste and the Inquisitor, now I hear you are also a dragon slayer. And here I thought you didn't want any more titles."

She let out an affection giggle, knowing full well that Cullen was right. "I suppose so. Has everything been okay since I left? I'm glad to see the walls are still standing."

Cullen moved to the sofa by the stairs, removing his sword and his armour. "Vivienne has been trying to rally support for her one-woman crusade against Cole. She even tried to charm me into taking her side and present her case to you directly. She seems to think I have some kind of influence over you."

"And you believe that you don't? From what I remember on the night of the Storm, you carry much influence, especially over me." Cullen let out a little growl, making Eostre giggle again.

The sound of clanging metal persuaded Eostre to open her eyes. She was greeted by Cullen, bare-chested with a cloth in his hand. "And what do you expect to be doing with that?"

"Well, seeing as Iron Bull had to carry you, I assumed you were tired and therefore in need of assistance bathing. But if you'd rather I didn't help …. " Eostre smirked. "I suppose I could use some help yes."

She winced a little as she moved into a more seated position. Cullen kneeled beside her and, taking some water on the cloth, caringly cleaned the blood from her back. Despite having seen her naked only a few nights ago, he hadn't had time to fully take in her body.

Upon her back, he could see a five-inch scar that ran down her shoulder blade. The scar was at least an inch wide, indicating that she had been hit with a curved blade. It had left an impression on her shoulder, most likely as a result of not healing properly.

"Is that scar that interesting to you?" He broke out of his trace, not realising that he had just been pressing his fingers along her shoulder blade for a few minutes. "It was a sneak attack. I didn't see them coming and I wasn't prepared, I had just escaped an arranged marriage after all with not a lot."

He moved her hair away from her back, revealing more scars. These, however, were smaller in comparison and mixed with more recent cuts. She let out small whimpers when he touched some of them, urging Cullen to take more care.

She gently tipped her head back as she felt him cautiously rinse her hair; the water changing red from all the blood. He couldn't help but feel aroused whilst watching a droplet of red water run down her cheek, over her breast and into the water.

He stood, taking a fresh towel and holding it open to wrap it around her naked, wet body as she rose from the bath. He swept her off her feet, carrying her to bed and lying her down. She groaned from the comfort, it beat the thin bedroll and hard ground she had been sleeping on.

Her eyes closed and fell fast asleep, she was considerably more tired than she first thought. Cullen smiled, redressed then bent to kiss her on the forehead. As he moved back to standing, he heard her whisper, "I love you, Cullen."

His eyes shot wide open at the words, almost knocking him off his feet stronger than a hit from the mightiest foe. "She …. she loves me?" The idea of this seemed almost fantastical to him.

It had been a long time since he wanted anyone in his life, and he never expected to have found that here as the Commander of the Inquisition, let alone from the Inquisitor herself.