Alistair

To their great relief, Ashe seemed to be on her way to recovering. She was sleeping in a different room of the house now, with Hawke watching over her. Anders was restrained and put to sleep by one of Mahariel's mixtures. Mahariel herself was sitting on a couch, warming her hands against the heat coming from the fireplace in front of it. Cullen sat to the side and Alistair was leaning against the wall, eyeing Mahariel suspiciously. He was still far from convinced that it was really her.

"Tell us what happened, Mahri," Cullen said softly. Alistair rolled his eyes at the endearing nickname.

"I'm not exactly sure, if I'm honest with you. Anders and I, well as you know, we know each other from before. After the Blight, I recruited him..."

"Yes, yes, we know, get to the point," Alistair snapped.

"Fine. Everything went black after the attack at your party. I woke up in a crypt, with Anders standing over me. He saved me. He brought me here, to keep me safe from whoever it was that had attacked me. He's innocent."

"Innocent?" Alistair asked incredulously. "We walked in on him raping Ashe. The bastard didn't even stop then, he just kept on... Maker, innocent!"

Mahariel did look a bit uncertain of herself as she listened to his words. "Are you sure that was really what went on?"

"Not a doubt about it," Cullen said, his jaw stiff. "Where were you when this went down? I thought she was just rambling at the time, but now I understand. Ashe asked me if I'd seen you, when I spoke with her through the window before we managed to break through the last barrier. She didn't seem shocked to see you before either."

Mahariel nodded, a blonde lock of hair falling down over her face while she did so. "I spoke to her briefly when she first got here."

Alistair stared at her. Everything about her was so familiar, down to the smallest detail like how she swept her hair out of her face. Was it really her?

As if she could sense his emotions, she turned to look at him. Her turquoise eyes seemed to stare straight into his soul and for the first time in – well, he couldn't even remember how long, she looked at him with something other than coldness and disdain. She looked sad.

"If he did to her what you say he did, than I am truly sorry that I didn't stay here. Maybe it wouldn't have had to happen, then. But I left because I wanted to help him. He's sick. I could see how he struggled to stay lucid, that his grip on reality was slipping. I assumed that he'd been afflicted with something by the same person who attacked me. I went away to try to find this person. I only turned back because I caught word from some peasants that a trio of men in full armor had stormed through the countryside on horses, heading in this direction. I didn't know it was you, I just knew that it would probably be bad news for Anders."

"You're not wrong about that," Cullen muttered. "Don't you think it's possible that Anders is the only one responsible? That he attacked you and Ashe just to make up an excuse to take her here?"

"I suppose," she said and looked deeply in thought. "But why bring me here, then? Why not just kill me? As embarrassing as it is to admit it, he could have. I was caught off guard."

"Maybe he wanted Ashe to trust him? To make her see that he hadn't killed you?" Cullen mused. "He obviously wants her, but he seems..."

"Out of control?" Mahariel filled in. Cullen nodded grimly, his face filled with disgust.

"He doesn't seem to be himself, no," she continued. "At times, he was completely lucid, and then I could see him slipping, just like I told you. It's almost as if something is trying to possess him, although he would have felt that and said so, I think. This is more like a disease, eating away at his mind."

Alistair pressed his hands together anxiously. "Mahariel, I'm sorry I yelled at you before, I..."

She silenced him with an outstretched hand. "Don't, Alistair. You were shocked, and suspicious. Maker, I would have scolded you myself if you weren't," she smiled sadly. "I'm glad you're not as naive as we both once were. I could have been a demon for all you knew."

He just nodded, accepting that he was forgiven.

"And I know what that girl means to you." She turned to Cullen and took his hand in hers. "And for you as well, dear friend."

Cullen smiled at her a little, his expression warm when he met her eyes.

Alistair stared at the pair of them while their eyes lingered on each other for an uncomfortably long time.

The awkwardness was broken when Hawke stuck his head through the door.

"Princess is doing good. She'll be healthy as a nut in no time. He on the other hand," he inclined his head towards Anders, "probably won't feel so good when she's done with him."

"She's not to do anything to him before we know what's going on with him," Mahariel said and stood up to greet Hawke, since there hadn't really been time for that before.

"I'd like to see you try and stop her," Hawke grinned and embraced the elven woman.

"It's good to see you, Greyer," she said softly while her head was on his shoulder before letting go.

"No, really, I'd pay to see it," he said. She rolled her eyes at him and he laughed. "It's really good to see you alive and kicking, missy. What happened?"

She quickly filled him in on what she'd just told Cullen and Alistair.

"So, this is all weird as shit," he stated. "What are we going to do about Anders?"

"We'll let Ashe decide, obviously," Alistair said. "Until then, we wait."

Cullen

Damn, she was really beautiful. Such a rare being, so intelligent, beautiful and most of all dangerous.

She reminded him of Ashe in many ways. Cullen was very glad that she was alive.

He watched Mahariel as she was sitting on the couch still, watching Anders. He could almost see the cogwheels turn in her brain as she was trying to figure this all out. Hawke and Alistair had left to be with Ashe so that she wouldn't be alone when she woke up.

He moved to sit beside Mahariel, and she tore her eyes away from Anders and looked at him as he did so.

"Do you really think he's innocent? That someone, what – made him do this to Ashe?" Cullen asked, unable to keep the skepticism out of his voice.

Mahariel shrugged. "I don't know. We'll have to question him about it when he wakes up."

"Yes, if Ashe doesn't rip him in half first," he said. Mahariel only nodded in response.

"Mahri, why did you come with me that night to the palace? You said it was only as a favor to me. Is that really true?"

"What does it matter, Cullen, really? What difference does it make? I have my own life now, away from Alistair and the court."

"And are you happy?"

She smiled at him, her eyes sharp and intelligent. "You tell me. Did I seem happy during the time you spent in my company?"

Of course she wouldn't just hand him any answers on a silver platter without grilling him first. He should have known better.

"Yes, but that could have just been over-enjoyment from your side over my delightful, charming company," he said, his voice amused.

Any other woman would have fawned over it, but Mahariel just laughed, unimpressed. "You're full of yourself as usual, Rutherford," she said, still smiling a little.

"Full of admiration, perhaps."

"Not for me, I bet. Tell me Cullen, what is it about Ashe that's so special that you and Alistair are both tripping over yourselves to cross the finish line first? Even Greyer's into her, yes? I mean, in as much as Greyer Hawke can be into anybody, meaning that he's probably slept with her repeatedly."

Cullen could feel his smile sour at her words.

"Oh, come on, don't be such a baby about it," she scolded. "She's a grown woman, well almost, and can you blame her? I mean, I probably wouldn't say no to that face either, and that body..."

"Mahri," Cullen moaned, not particularly in the mood to hear how even the Hero of Ferelden wanted to get into Greyer Hawke's pants.

"Just trying to lighten the mood, Mr. Stuffy Commander."

Cullen didn't have a chance to respond before the door flung open. Ashe stood in the opening, her eyes wild and searching. He saw that she had her sword in her hand just as her eyes found Anders, still asleep on the floor in the corner of the room. Without saying a word, she walked up to him, Hawke and Alistair not far behind and she stopped in front of him. She regarded him coldly for a few moments before she kicked him as hard as she could in the face.

"That ought to wake him up," she said. Cullen could feel his own blood lust awaken when he heard the mage groan and spit blood on the floor. He deserved all he had coming and more. He cheered inwardly when Ashe kicked him again, so hard that teeth flew out of his mouth.

Then she threw herself down on him, pressing her knee into his throat, making him choke on his own blood.

"You don't feel so good now, do you?" she asked, her voice steady, calm.

Too calm.

Cullen knew she was at her most dangerous when she was like this; cold, calculating.

"Not being able to breathe, while someone assaults you, do you enjoy it? You sick, Maker damned son of a whore. You took what wasn't yours to take. You raped me. Me. How many times have you called me your little sister? Your kitten? Told me that you loved me? Did you think about what you were going to do to me, all those times?"

Cullen saw how Anders' eyes widened as she spoke, and he guessed it wasn't just because of the lack of air. He sputtered and choked under her knee, which wasn't moving an inch. But Mahariel had moved to Ashe's side and put a calming hand on her shoulder.

"Let him speak, child. I assure you it won't do you any good to keep wondering why he did this to you if you kill him without letting him speak."

Ashe looked like she was about to bite the older woman's head off, but then she relented and loosened her grip on Anders.

He spat out some more blood and inhaled deeply, coughing when the air filled his lungs too quickly. After a few heartbeats, he regained some semblance of normal breathing.

"I-I didn't mean to, Ashe, I don't know what came over me, I swear," he said, his voice rough from the strangling. "I just wanted to make them go away, and you seemed so willing before -"

Oh, shit -

Ashe's eyes flew wide open and rage contorted her beautiful face while she smashed her fist into his face. Anders' head bounced against the floor and the light went out from his eyes.

Mahariel once again stilled Ashe's hand when she raised it to hit him again.

"Don't, I beg of you Ashe. Think of what he once meant to you, would he really do this to you if he were himself? Let's leave this damned place, take him with us, in chains if you like. We'll go to Skyhold, keep him there and let Leliana question him. You know she, if anyone, can get to the bottom of this."

Ashe sat still over Anders, breathing harshly and saying nothing for several, long minutes.

Finally, she rose to her feet. "Fine. We'll do it you way. I want to leave, I want to go home. But I warn you: If he even looks at me when he wakes up, I'll rip his gut open with my bare hands."

Mahariel nodded. "Fair enough. So let's go to Skyhold."