Olcinia and Artemis were walking down the hall alone. Artemis did briefly wonder why Olcinia hadn't taken any of the other Venatori agents with her, but she guessed Olcinia was simply confident in the hold they now had over Artemis.
Olcinia led her to a large room, it felt cramped because of all the things stored there. There were strange statues, some broken, put away to one side of the room, along the other walls were tables, stacked chairs and pieces of broken furniture. And everywhere there were large stacks of crates. This room looked a lot more run down than the rest of the castle, at least the parts Artemis had seen. There was something else odd about the space as well, a strange vibration seemed to hang in the air.
Olcinia and Artemis were alone in the room. "Trevelyan, we would like you to open the breach again," Olcinia said.
Artemis looked flabbergasted. "You think I can do that?" she almost laughed. "Last time someone managed to do that they caused an explosion that levelled a temple and… and that was Corypheus!"
"Yes, but you have the mark now. The mark he wanted. It would've given him control over the veil, control you have now."
"Me closing a few rifts is not the same thing as him ripping the veil apart!"
"You have opened them as well," Olcinia said.
"Not out of thin air, and even if I had that's not the same thing as tearing the veil down. The breach was meant to tear the whole veil down not open a large rift." Artemis sighed. This was what they wanted her to do? "Why would it even help you to have me open the breach again?"
"Corypheus wants the mark, but it is attached to you now, if we still accomplish what he wanted with the mark, finding a way to remove it from your hand will be irrelevant."
"I assume you were supposed to find a way to transfer the mark to Corypheus, but because you couldn't find a way you thought you would just make me do what he wants to with the mark? I'm not even sure if he would be glad of it if you managed it." Artemis looked at Olcinia and wondered whether this was just a last desperate attempt to accomplish an impossible task given to her by an unforgiving master. Did Corypheus even realise what his agent planned to do?
"I think he will be more angry if I fail completely," Olcinia said through clenched teeth.
Artemis shook her head. It was a ludicrous plan. Artemis looked around the cramped space. "You want me to try in here? If by some miracle this plan of yours succeeds, the whole building would be raised to the ground."
"I know, I have no intention of opening another breach in here. I brought you to this room because I presumed you would demand to see your commander before you would be willing to open the breach."
Commander? Cullen. Artemis' felt her heart leap in her chest, frantically she looked around the room. The damn crates were obstructing a lot of the view. Olcinia caught Artemis' eye and gestured for her to make her way to the middle of the room. Artemis did, silently, weaving through the walls of crates, heart pounding in her chest. She couldn't hear anything, even though she knew they wouldn't have killed Cullen, she still felt a nervous sweat forming on her back.
Artemis noticed the strange light before she could see anything else, slowly he approached what she thought was the source of the light. The edge of a large bubble came into her field of view, and then… Cullen. His eyes were shut, but he was sitting on his knees as if he were wide awake, but it was clear he wasn't actually aware of anything around him. Artemis rushed forward, even though she knew she couldn't do anything. Without a staff she wasn't sure she could even bring the barrier down, let alone fight her way out of this. There was no way she could escape with Cullen as he was now and there was also Dorian to consider.
Artemis kneeled down next to the barrier. "Cullen," she whispered. Nothing happened, Artemis had hardly expected it to. She looked at Cullen, he was still bare chested, his feet were bare as well, there were small cuts and scrapes across his naked skin and a few bruises as well. His arms and legs were shackled. Artemis got back to her feet.
Olcinia had made no direct threats, not needed to because they both knew what was at stake. Artemis also realised there was no point in making demands involving Cullen right now. But maybe she could help Dorian.
"I want you to free Dorian, before I even try to do what you want," Artemis said.
"The other mage?" Olcinia said. She seemed to consider the request for a little while, then nodded. "Only with the understanding that if he warns the Inquisition where you are –"
"Dorian wouldn't do that, he knows what's at stake and he knows I… he wouldn't risk it."
"All right," Olcinia said. "Let's go outside then."
"Outside?"
"To open the breach," Olcinia said.
"Yes, but I want to see Dorian leave."
Olcinia nodded and left the room, secure in her knowledge that Artemis would wait for her.
Artemis remained next to the barrier, looking at Cullen until Olcinia returned. Artemis reached out her hand, it hovered above the barrier and for a short moment she considered trying to take the barrier down. But she didn't want to risk Dorian's release, besides, Artemis knew she couldn't tear it down. She simply wasn't powerful enough without her staff.
"Cullen," she said with an understandable amount of uncertainty. "I'm sorry I kept so much from you when I should've trusted you. I suppose I also felt guilty for letting it go so far, while you were under the influence of that potion and I didn't want to face my own guilt over my actions. Or face how deep my feelings for you truly run." Artemis looked around her, as if scared to get caught in the middle of her confession. "I've made this mess even messier because I wasn't honest with you." Artemis shook her head. "So much trouble could've been avoided if I'd just admitted to you and to myself that I… I love you."
The sound of a heavy door being opened and closed startled Artemis. Olcinia had returned, and his time she wasn't alone. "I'm beginning to understand why people hate my homeland so much," Dorian said as he was dragged into view by a short but very broad man. Then he spotted the barrier and Cullen. Dorian gasped. "Commander?" He looked at Cullen, but naturally there was no reaction. Dorian then looked at Artemis. "Are you all right?" he asked. Artemis nodded.
"Are you all right?" Artemis asked Dorian in return.
"Naturally, I had been needing a little break from the Inquisition."
Artemis smiled. "They're going to let you go," she told Dorian. "As long as you don't tell the others where I am."
"Simple enough, because I don't know where we are." Dorian looked at the barrier. "And you are staying here," he said, his voice almost an accusation.
"I'm sorry," Artemis said.
Dorian pursed his lips. Before he could speak he was being dragged away by the short man. Dorian struggled against the man's grip. "Will you let me speak first." The man stilled for a moment. "Thank you," Dorian tried to free his arm but the man wouldn't let him. "Artemis, please be careful. I don't know what they're asking you to do but I assume it will be dangerous, considering the company you're in. Please remember the commander wouldn't want anything they might ask you to do done in his name."
"I'm not doing it for him, I'm doing it for me." Artemis tried to smile. "I'll be fine Dorian, please just go back to Skyhold, but don't tell them what happened, not yet."
"Artemis," Dorian said sternly.
"Dorian," Artemis mimicked his tone.
"Remember you always have a choice. I know you… care for the commander, but he wouldn't want you to risk the Inquisition for him. He would want you to fight."
The short man pulled on Dorian's arm and it seemed he wouldn't grant them any more time together.
"Goodbye Dorian," Artemis said.
The short man was now pulling Dorian along with him. "I expect to see you at Varric's next Wicked Grace evening," Dorian said before he was dragged out of view.
Artemis turned around to look at Cullen again, trapped in that bubble of light she couldn't penetrate. Dorian was right, Cullen would want her to fight. Even if that meant risking them both.
Whenever he was here alone, Cullen felt like the whole place seemed different somehow. The peace he had felt here before was troubled now. Except when Artemis was with him, and lately she had been at his side more often than she usually was. When she was with him, there was no place he'd rather be, but left alone, his mind would become restless and Cullen found himself worrying about the strangest things. Things like why he couldn't remember their wedding unless Artemis told him about it, or how the weather seem to never really change around here, it was always that kind of sunny weather with a nice cold breeze in the air – exactly the kind of weather he preferred. But what unsettled Cullen most was how often he found himself thinking about the time he had to be saved from the tower, and how his mind couldn't stop trying to connect this life he had now to what had happened to him back then.
These worries crept into his mind during the day, but thankfully only when he was alone, and he could always seek out Artemis to find solace in her.