"Inquisitor, a word please," Cullen said, his voice tense. He opened the door to his office and waited until Trevelyan entered the room. Trevelyan considered whether this was an improvement on the weird awkwardness and avoidance that had been going on between them these past days… since the kiss. That had been her doing of course. After the kiss Trevelyan had avoided being alone with Cullen to stop any conversation from becoming too personal, as she was still figuring out how to talk to him about everything that happened and could happen. Cullen, understandably, had not taken well to once again being ignored by Trevelyan.

"What is it Commander?" Trevelyan tried to sound casual.

"When did Cassandra tell you?" Cullen demanded.

"Tell me what?" Trevelyan replied, feeling flabbergasted by both his demeanour and the accusation.

Cullen made a strange glottal sound; in frustration, he threw his hands in the air. In no way did he resemble his normal composed self. "I might not have noticed, if I wasn't already on my guard because of the men Cassandra keeps sending to keep an eye on me," he was pacing through the room now, "but I would never have expected you to treat me in the same demeaning manner. I thought you would… trust me"

"Trust you? I do trust you, but I have no idea what – "

"Oh give it up will you, I don't know how long this has been going on, but I spotted them. Leliana's men; you asked her to have her people look in on me," he almost growled at Trevelyan. She felt her heart sink, he was right, she had asked Leliana for help, and now she felt ashamed because it must seem like she didn't trust him after all. But what did Cassandra have to do with it? When Trevelyan didn't speak, Cullen added, "she's already given you up."

"That sounds very unlike her," Trevelyan answered.

"So you do not deny it?"

Trevelyan sighed, and then just shrugged. "Fine, I don't deny it."

"As I thought!"

It was the sound of triumph in his voice that gave Cullen away. "You didn't even speak to Leliana, did you?"

"No, it was already clear to me who had to be responsible, so I ask you again, when did Cassandra tell you?" Trevelyan wasn't surprised that he had confronted her before confronting Leliana, but what did he think Cassandra's role in all of this was?

"Tell me what?" Trevelyan asked, exasperated.

"Tell you that I no longer take Lyrium!" Cullen exclaimed. "I knew you had to have found out," he said in a softer voice. "It had to be why you… you…" he stopped himself, it seemed like he had been talking aloud rather than really speaking to her. "And you didn't trust me, instead you – "

"You're not taking Lyrium? But I thought Templars had to…" Trevelyan was startled at the revelation. She had known Templars all her life and she knew lyrium wasn't something you could just stop taking.

"I am a Templar no longer," Cullen said tersely.

"I know, but I didn't think you could stop even if you stopped being a Templar, isn't it a lifetime kind of deal?" Trevelyan tried to keep her voice calm, but she was remembering tales from the circle now, and she knew that Templars could die if they stopped taking lyrium. It had never happened to any of the Templars she'd known, but there had been rumours among the mages and Templars of her circle about it happening to disgraced Templars unable to obtain lyrium.

"Normally, yes, but –" Cullen stopped and eyed Trevelyan with renewed suspicion. "Do you mean to say you did not know I had stopped taking Lyrium?"

"No, how would I?"

"And Cassandra didn't tell you?"

"No, like I said, I had no idea."

"Oh," Cullen said, and he visibly calmed down.

There was a short silence. Cullen was staring at his desk, Trevelyan wasn't sure if she should leave, after all he hadn't meant to reveal this to her, but she had to discuss it.

"How long have you not taken it?"

"Since joining the Inquisition," Cullen said.

"And you didn't tell me?" it was Trevelyan's turn to be angry now.

"It wasn't of import."

"Yes it was! You stop taking Lyrium and don't – "

"I stopped before we'd even met," Cullen clarified.

"Yes, but you could have told me later! I thought we were – " Trevelyan stopped herself, suddenly a thought occurred to her. "Are you in pain?" she asked, genuinely concerned.

"Yes – no. It's not important."

"It is, I care – " she stopped herself again, "I care to know what's happening to my Commander," she corrected herself. "You're very important to the Inquisition, Cullen."

He looked at her, puzzled.

Before Cullen could say anything, Trevelyan said, "I know what can happen… to Templars who stop taking lyrium." Cullen either didn't know what she meant, or he hoped he could avoid discussing this. "I know it can be fatal," Trevelyan eventually said.

Cullen looked at his desk again, and Trevelyan wondered if there was something in it he was thinking of. "That isn't very likely," he said eventually. "It should not concern you."

Whether he meant that to mean it wasn't her business or that she shouldn't worry, Trevelyan didn't know, but it made her angry nonetheless. "Of course it should concern me! It should concern you!" Cullen looked startled by Trevelyan's outburst. Trevelyan shook her head, more at her own stupidity than Cullen's. "I just…," Trevelyan's voice was much softer now, "it just scares me that you would risk that," she said.

Cullen took a step forward and reached for Trevelyan with his hand, before dropping his arm to his side again. "I have someone watching me, it's under control."

"Cassandra I presume?"

"Yes."

"And she – " Trevelyan stopped herself, if Cullen trusted Cassandra with this, so should she. "Cullen, how does it feel now?"

"I can endure it," he said, and it didn't sound like she could ask him anything else about it.

They stood there in silence for a little while, neither of them sure of the new boundaries of their relationship as it stood now. It took a while before Cullen realised he still didn't have an answer to his original question.

"Why did you have people follow me?" he asked. He sounded calm this time, but his voice still held some tension.

"I… we… that is the Inquisition, can't afford to lose you and I had reason to suspect you were, well, are in danger." Trevelyan bit her lip, wondering whether there was a way to explain without revealing too much, but it was too late for that. Trevelyan sighed, this was not how she'd planned to tell him, but there was no way to keep the truth from him now. "I think you might be a target, I think you might have been who they were after at camp even, and that's why I asked Leliana to make sure you were safe."

"Why would I be a target above you? Surely if you believe these threats have infiltrated our ranks, you would be their primary target?"

Well shit, Trevelyan thought to herself because there really, absolutely, was no avoiding it now. "I would, and I do," she said.

"But you just said – " Cullen shook his head. "If you believe yourself to be the target, why are you following me?"

Trevelyan took a deep breath, steeling herself for this next part. "That potion you took," she said and she could see his body tense up, this was a subject they'd done their best to avoid. "That was meant for me."

"That is not surprising."

"No, it is not. But you took it, it's just that whoever tried to get it to me, does not know this. Most likely they believe that I did take it and that everything that occurred…" Trevelyan paused, looking at the dummy in the room as if she hoped it could help her, "most likely they think my behaviour was caused by the potion and so they might try to use you against me, because it must have seemed like I… like we…" her voice trailed off. This was horrible.

"I don't quite understand," Cullen said, "surely they know the potion wouldn't work that long, if they were going to use the… affection it causes against you, they would've done so already?"

She really would have to explain this to him. "The potion doesn't cause affection," she said. How was she going to word this? "They will believe it revealed where my affections lie and that is why you need to be guarded." She got it all out in a rush, hoping Cullen wouldn't realise what she was saying.

Cullen frowned at her. He looked away, into the distance, clearly thinking about the situation.

Trevelyan felt herself become more nervous and so she decided she needed to put some distance between them. "Look, Cullen, please just let them, it won't be forever." She tried to escape from the office, but ended up almost colliding with a messenger entering the room. Why was there always so much foot traffic in and out of this room?

"Yes thank you," Cullen said curtly, before the messenger could even say anything, he took the report from the man and then stared him down until the messenger, looking slightly intimidated, left the room again. Trevelyan tried to follow, but Cullen grabbed her arm and gently, but firmly, turned her back to face him. "What was the intended effect of the potion?" his eyes burned into hers and she wasn't sure why he was so intense in his questioning.

Trevelyan shook her head. "It isn't important, we got through it and now we have to – "

"Artemis," Cullen said, his voice demanding. The sound of him using her first name startled her, Cullen hadn't called Trevelyan by it since the day after the potion stopped worked on him. "Tell me," he said, his eyes still fixed on hers.

She bit her lip. "Dorian thinks it works by revealing your weakness."

"My weakness?" Cullen looked confused, she could practically see him replaying the scenes between them those days. Then his eyes grew wide. "How?" he asked, looking for confirmation.

"It shows what you… what you care about because someone's weakness… it is what – "

" – they would fight to protect," Cullen finished the thought. His hand let go of her arm as it slowly dawned on him what those days had meant. "Artemis," he said, "I – " but he didn't know what to say.

"I should go," Trevelyan said, "just let Leliana's people do their duties." She turned to leave the office.

"Please stay," Cullen said. Trevelyan froze, she wondered whether he realised when he had last said that to her. This time it sounded different.

"We never talked about what happened," Cullen said. "We should, considering the situation."

Trevelyan turned back around but didn't look at him. "I don't – "

"Because if you're saying they are targeting me to get to you, does that mean… do you…" Trevelyan looked up to see Cullen's face flush red. He seemed so unsure even though it should by now be clear to him what she felt. Was he really going to ask her to admit her feelings? Wasn't it obvious enough by now? But she was still the Inquisitor and he was the Commander and without that potion he would never risk it, would he?

"I keep wondering… about what happened between us, then…" he briefly looked at her. "And at the camp."

Trevelyan felt her heart pounding in her chest. At the same time she wanted to discuss what had happened, admit that she was madly in love with him, but she also wanted to flee the office.

"Cullen, I don't know what you want me to say."

"Artemis," Cullen said, he took a step towards her, there were mere inches between them now. He reached out for her, his hand coming to rest on her arm. "You stayed with me, that night. You hadn't taken the potion." He stroked her arm. "I thought you had stayed out of sympathy, but…" he paused, his eyes scanning her face.

"It wasn't out of sympathy," Artemis answered with a small voice.

Cullen cupped her face with his hands. "I know," he said and leaned in to kiss her. Artemis placed her hand on his chest to stop him.

"Cullen…"

"I still want this," he said, "even after I could feel it had stopped working, I still wanted… you." He seemed to know she needed this reassurance. "At first I was afraid there might still be lingering effects of the potion, I wanted to figure that out before..."

"But you never – "

"How could I? The future of Thedas rests on your shoulders, what if I caused you more anguish?"

"I thought you didn't – "

"I do," Cullen said and he leaned in to kiss her again.

Artemis stopped him again. "You think there could still be aftereffects from the potion?" she asked shocked. It felt incredibly cruel to her that she could never just trust his feelings.

Cullen shook his head. "I feared that yes, but not because of my feelings. I have felt for you since I carried you out of the snow in Haven."

"Haven? Then you're the one who found me?"

Cullen nodded. "I wasn't alone though. But I couldn't accept that you were lost. Too much was at stake and… and it was then I realised my feelings for you." Cullen met Artemis' eyes, then he looked at the floor. "I think, I think I'm in love with you."

Trevelyan felt her heart leap, she almost wanted to ask him to repeat it just to be sure he just said that.

"But you would never have acted on it?"

"Not without your permission."

"Or the potion."

Cullen chuckled. "I suppose."

"So what is different now?"

"Now," he said, pushing a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Now I know you care for me."

"You do?" Artemis sounded more surprised by that statement than she should.

"You believed the potion had shown your weakness to the world, the thing you care for, and you thought they would believe me to be that, because of the time we spent together, but you," he stroked her cheek, "you didn't have the potion in your blood."

"No," Artemis said softly. She smiled at him. "I was afraid you might realise that at some point."

Cullen smiled a crooked smile. "I did… eventually," and he kissed her.

The kiss started soft, tentative, as if this was their first kiss. Quickly it grew more intense, both of them pawing at each other's bodies, feeling the time between them as a loss. Artemis was fumbling with Cullen's impossible armour, and not getting anywhere, her hands eventually dug into the fur of his cloak and pulled him even closer against her. Cullen let out a low groan when he realised what she was trying to do. Taking her cue, Cullen undid the belt around his hips, his hands moved up, and without even breaking the kiss, he managed to get the cloak off, with it came the rest of the cloth draped around his armour.

Cullen's hands now moved to Artemis' body, his fingers undoing her shirt. Artemis' shirt was open in the front now, Cullen kissed her neck as he pushed her shirt over her shoulders, it dropped to the floor. Artemis briefly worried about a messenger coming in and seeing her like this, but she couldn't really care. Cullen met her lips again and she desperately wanted him pressed against her body, without all this metal separating them. Artemis moved her hands over Cullen's armour, she broke the kiss and whispered, "take it off." Cullen's hands fell away from her hips, where they'd been resting, and he quickly started to undress, the second the last piece of metal fell to the floor, Artemis grasped Cullen by his shirt and pulled him against her again, desperately kissing him.

Cullen wrapped his arms around Artemis and she started to pull on the hem of his shirt, Cullen obediently lifted his arms so she could get his shirt off. Artemis ran her hands over his naked chest, lightly scratching him with her nails, Cullen let out a whimper of pleasure. He grabbed her waist and pulled Artemis against him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and felt Cullen place his hands under her ass, before lifting her up in the air, Artemis wrapped her thighs around his hips. Cullen spun them around, lost his balance, stumbled and eventually crashed against the wall. Artemis' thighs were still wrapped around his hips as the clung to each other. "Cullen," she breathed. "Yes?" he replied, his voice low with desire. "I think I'm in love with you as well." Cullen's smile was broad and bright and it melted Artemis' heart. He quickly kissed her again.

Cullen broke the kiss off, he looked at Artemis, only wearing a breastband now, her shirt somewhere on the floor of his office. Artemis had slid down his legs slightly, he lifted her a little so her legs could wrap around his hips again, her arms remaining wrapped around his neck. Cullen leaned forward so he could kiss her neck, Artemis leant her head back against the wall, her erratic breathing and content little sounds making him more eager. Right now Cullen didn't care about anything but her, he didn't even care about how easily they could get caught.

Artemis' hands moved down Cullen's body, her nails running down his sides, making electricity rush through him. Cullen's breath caught; slowly Artemis' hands traced his hips, moving to meet each other in the middle, reaching between her own legs, she began to undo his breeches and Cullen answered by passionately kissing her. The feeling of having Artemis here, finally, having her be so willing to give in, this was a feeling that he had desperately missed without ever even realising he had wanted it.

"nee-jee nee-jee nee-jee nee-jee nee-jee nee-jee nee-jee nee-jee nee-jee nee-jee nee-jee nee-jee nee-"

The screeching sound that suddenly filled the small room was ear deafening. In reaction, and without meaning to, Cullen let go of Artemis to cover his ears, Artemis slid down the wall and covered her own ears as well. Artemis curled up and laid down on the floor. Cullen fell to his knees, struggling to gain control over himself, but the sound was too excruciating. Slowly he collapsed next to Artemis on the floor. He looked for her eyes, when Artemis finally looked at him, Cullen saw she looked terrified. Cullen tried to get up, fight, but he could hardly move. Artemis tried to move her hands from her ears, but Cullen could see it was too excruciating and she quickly covered them again. Their eyes met again and this time he could see a determent look on her face before she squeezed her eyes shut. Cullen could guess what she was going to do; he wanted to tell Artemis not to, but his voice was helpless against this horrible screeching that seemed to be physically pinning them against the floor.

Artemis quickly let go of her ears, made some kind of gesture Cullen didn't fully understand, causing a faint greenish light to circle around them. Cullen couldn't pay attention to it because he had his eyes fixed on Artemis' face, there was a small trail of blood coming from her ears. Cullen tried to yell, but nothing could be heard above the noise. Suddenly a strange white mist rushed from the faint green circle; it almost seemed like a tiny whirlwind and when it died down, the screeching had suddenly stopped.

Silence again.

Cullen immediately rushed over to Artemis, who'd now collapsed to the floor again. Her eyes were shut and Cullen felt his heart sink. He wasn't sure what had happened, or how Artemis had managed to stop the attack, but all that mattered now was Artemis' closed eyes and the blood coming from her ears. Cullen lifted Artemis in his arms, stroking her hair, whimpering her name, but her eyes wouldn't open.

"Artemis," Cullen said, "please." He felt terrified, why had he not been able to stop the attack? "Please," he whispered, stroking her face, kissing her forehead. Cullen reached for his cloak where it was lying on the floor, and draped it over Artemis' half-naked body. Slowly Cullen got up, lifting Artemis in his arms. He realised what this would look like, but he had to get her help. Cullen immediately thought of Solas, he had to be the most experienced mage in Skyhold and he had to know what had just happened and how to heal Artemis.

Carrying Artemis in his arms, Cullen opened the door of his office, wanting to use the walkway to get to Solas, but the second he opened the door, he was jumped. First there were black particles, ash it almost seemed, and then suddenly a small man, dressed in unmistakable Venatori dress. The Venatori assassin wasted no time, he lunged forward, twin blades flashing in the moonlight. Cullen managed to just miss the first blade by dropping to one knee. He let Artemis fall to the ground then moved to stand between her and the assassin. The assassin lunged forward again, Cullen dodged the second blade by quickly rolling his shoulder back.

Cullen was aware that the Venatori agent could still easily get to Artemis, but it was his instinct. Part of him remembered what Artemis had said about him being a target, but he wasn't planning on moving. Cullen had nothing he could use as a weapon, but he also knew he couldn't possibly get away without leaving Artemis behind.

The assassin disappeared again, only leaving the weird ash trace behind him. Cullen circled Artemis, looking for the next attack. from the corner of his eye he could see the black ash again and he spun around just in time to see the Venatori appear before him. Again the man tried to slash him, and Cullen now knew Artemis had been right, after all the assassin seemed to completely ignore the actual leader of the Inquisition lying unconscious on the floor before him.

Cullen dropped his right shoulder, narrowly escaping the assassin's blades a third time. For a second the assassin lost his balance because of the missed swing, Cullen quickly took advantage by stepping to the right and swiftly punching the man in the kidneys. The punches were hard and precise enough to make the assassin slightly double over, just for a moment. Cullen rush forward. He slammed his shoulder into the assassin. The assassin was caught off guard, but was quick enough to lash out with one of his blades and the tip of one of them scraped along Cullen's left arm, drawing blood. Cullen ignored the pain and kept pushing the assassin. The assassin's back slammed against the ledge of the walkway, Cullen's final push was forceful enough to make the assassin lose his balance and topple over the ledge.

Cullen felt relief wash over him, but it could only last a second, because from the corner of his eye Cullen could see a flash of ash again. A second assassin appeared on the other side of the walkway. Cullen wanted to attack, but after taking a single step towards the second Venatori, he suddenly felt weak. His vision dimming. His legs buckling under him. It wasn't long before Cullen was lying next to Artemis. Poison, was all he could think, his head swimming in a dark pool, fear and anger mixing together. Cullen tried to get up, but his body could no longer move. Cullen now saw that the assassin was approaching him and Artemis.