Cullen pulled her along until they reached the hidden chamber on the lowest floor of Skyhold. She rarely ventured to Skyhold's lowest level, which held a small library where their mages had conducted experiments and research while the Inquisition was at war, as well as several store rooms including their wine cellar.

"It is here," he said while he held the ancient looking wooden door open for her. She stepped into the stone room, which was lit by several small windows that were encrusted over with clear, colorful gems. In the middle of the room was a square pit that sank down into the floor. The pit had steps leading down into it and a ledge running around the perimeter that was situated about halfway down. Sticking up from the floor on the furthest side of the pit were two wheels. The room itself was quite small, and the only other items in there was a long narrow table situated along a wall, with a lantern sitting upon one end.

"What is this?" she asked, not sure what all she was looking at.

"This is a dwarven bathing room." said Cullen. "Gatsi explained it to me. Apparently there is a series of pipes and plumbing built in that will carry warmed water directly to this pool. You can fill it and drain it at will." he said, and walked over to one of the wheels to demonstrate.

He cranked one of the wheels around a few times, and sure enough clear water began pouring out of a hole in the side of the pit.

She walked over to where the water spilled out and put her hand under. It was cool and smelled clean, and the longer her hand remained, the warmer the water became. Until quickly it was too hot.

"Oh!" she exclaimed in surprise and pulled her hand out. "Wow." Cullen spun the second wheel and the water flow increased as cold water was added, lowering the temperature.

"But what heats the water?" she asked, incredulous.

"No one knows." he said. "Whatever it is it seems to be within or under the foundation of Skyhold. At any rate, no one knew what this room was until I asked Gatsi, since it was clear these wheels here are Dwarven."

The pit filled with warm, clear water, and Cullen ran out to the wine cellar to pick a bottle of wine.

When he returned, Quinn was just standing there, not quite sure what to do with herself.

He noticed her reservations and she decided she might as well tell him. "Is it strange that I am feeling a bit shy?" she asked. "It's only been a few hours since we've seen each other completely unclothed and yet here I am feeling nervous all over again."

He strode up so that he was standing mere inches from her, and he leaned over and kissed her gently on the tip of her nose.

"No my darling. Why don't I get in first," he said, "and you can open the wine?"

She realized that she was staring at his cupid's bow lips, and went in for a deep kiss. He slipped a hand around the small of her waist and she melted into his broad chest for a moment.

Quinn listened to the sounds of clothing shuffling about while she opened the bottle of wine. Realizing there were no glasses in which to pour it, she took a deep drink directly from the bottle.

She turned to look at him, just in time to see his muscular body dipping a toe into the water.

His back rippled with definition, and his buttocks and thighs swelled with a powerful grace.

He lowered himself into the water until it was halfway up his back, and then turned to sit up against the opposite side of the bath, looking up at her. He leaned his head back and let out a long exhale that turned into a groan.

"Would you like me to turn my back?" he asked, and she thought for a moment, and then nodded bashfully. She took another long drink of wine, and then offered him the bottle.

She removed all of her clothing and then looked down at herself. Her body was slender and strong, but not overly muscled. Her breasts were a proportionate size for the rest of her body, and she had her fair share of battle scars, but overall things were precisely where they should be.

She recalled the look that blazed through Cullen's eyes after she had stood before him drinking water that morning, and realized she was being very silly.

She entered the water to Cullen's right, and he didn't look over at her until she was fully submerged. Any remaining tension from the last five day's journey evaporated as she melted down into the pool of warm water beside him.

He handed her the wine again, and with another deep drink she began to feel the giddy lightness of the wine spreading from her stomach up to her head. She went completely under the water and stayed there for a moment, letting the water penetrate her hair. She realized the ledge was a seat, and she rested herself upon the smooth stones. It was at the perfect height so that just her neck and face were above water, and she rested her head against the side of the pool as Cullen was doing.

"It occurs to me that we didn't bring a change of clothes, or towels," he said, amused.

After a moment Quinn replied, "I… just… can't seem to care about any of that right now."

Cullen laughed.

"Maker's breath. This is exactly what I needed after that trip." she said, "I don't remember ever being so cold. I thought I'd never be warm again."

She let her head roll to the side so she was looking at Cullen.

"All I could do was think about getting back to you." she said.

"Tell me about it. I might as well have gone with you for as useless as I was here." he said.

She reached over and ran her hand along the back of his neck, feeling the warm strength under his smooth skin.

Through the water, one of his hands found its way to her knee, and he rested it there, massaging at her flesh just above, but not venturing any further.

"We might get some guests here at Skyhold in the next few days." said Quinn,

"More guests?" Cullen asked,

"Well, only two. There was a young couple camping in the snow just by the mountain pass. They were unarmed and minding their own business, but it was clear that they were running from something."

"And you believe they're coming here?"

"Well I invited them. They had questions about what kind of armies and mages are still here. It got me very curious. I hope they show up."

"Going to ferret out all their secrets are you?"

"Well, not exactly. I don't know. Like I said, I'm just curious." she said.

"There are already quite a few unfamiliar faces hanging around Skyhold since the wedding. I bet all of them have secrets too."

"We all do, don't we?" she responded.

"Yes. I suppose that's true. Will you tell me yours?" he asked, sliding a little closer to her.

"For you, I am an open book." she said and leaned in to kiss his irresistible lips once more. His hand left her knee, and found her waist, running gently up and down her back, making her remember that they were both completely nude.

He turned toward her, exploring her mouth with his own, claiming her lips in a kiss that was growing slowly in intensity. She let her hands wander, running over the firm muscles of his chest and arms. She let one hand trail down his abdominals, gripping his sides, and then finding its way back up to his face. She felt the stubble on his cheeks, and the sharp lines and smooth planes of his handsome facial features. His skin was cool against the warmth of the water, and Quinn began to feel herself growing almost unbearably hot, from a combination of the warm water as well as the fire that had been ignited in her body.

"I am suddenly feeling a little overheated." she gasped.

"Oh, I'm sorry, is the water too warm?" he asked.

"Well, that is part of it." she said, giving him a knowing smirk, which he returned.

Needing to cool down, and feeling all her bashfulness dissipating, she stood up, her breasts bristling once exposed to the cool air of the stone room. She hitched herself up so that she was sitting on the ledge of the tub, and began to fan herself off.

As soon as Cullen saw her pull out of the water he turned his back to her again.

She must be really confusing him, she thought. Going from bold nakedness to being bashful and back again. She was confusing herself. She should just get over it already, she told herself.

She picked up the bottle of wine and gulped. Cullen's arm reached back for the bottle, awaiting his turn. When he finished, it was empty.

"Cullen…" she began, "you can look. You've already seen me after all. There is no reason for me to be so silly. It's just a body after all."

He turned slowly to face her and she practically felt his eyes with her skin, as they ran over her, taking her in, turning dark and fiery.

"You are much, much more than just a body my darling." he said.

He did not linger however below her neck, and soon his eyes landed upon hers and stayed there. His lip curled into that half smile again, and she observed again with absolute certainty that she had never before seen a more beautiful creature than him in all her years. His face was just the perfect composition of sharp and soft, with his high cheek bones and defined brow, that sensual mouth… and the soul she saw behind his eyes, full of light and intelligence, but also a little damaged and haunted. Well, maybe more than a little. All held up by the lean, strong body of a man who had obviously spent most of his years working very hard. She felt such tenderness looking down at him, seeing him completely in a way she had never done before. She also felt such a hunger for him she didn't know if it would ever be satisfied.

Returning his smile, Quinn pulled him to her, spreading her legs to let him come in as close as possible. His mouth found her breast and his lips and tongue danced upon her flesh, sending chills up her bare skin. His hands slid around her waist and clutched at the small of her back, his fingers exploring the small notches of her spine.

After some time of kissing him from the depths of her soul, and feeling herself almost worked into a frenzy from his caresses, she gently turned him around and pushed him back down onto the ledge of the pool. He obeyed her touch without resistance, and she stepped around and lowered herself onto him, so that they quietly came face to face, chest to chest, almost the same as they had for the last session in the bed.

They were both more than ready, but once joined they slowed their pace, looking unflinchingly into each other's eyes and letting their bodies take their time.

When they both were descending from the heights of their release, he buried his face in her neck and she held him. She let her face rest in his hair and inhaled, drinking in his subtle musky scent. Her fingers combed softly through his hair and he sighed contentedly. She hadn't felt such peace in much longer than she could remember. But through the hypnotic reverie of their lovemaking came the quiet, ecstatic realization that the man in her arms was real, and something momentous had begun between them that was likely change the course of the rest of their lives.

Lifting his head and looking into her eyes he said, "My darling. As much as I hate to leave you, when we are done here I need to slip away for a few hours to attend to a few things."

"Of course Cullen." she answered, fingering through his damp hair.

"Meet me in our spot on the battlements thought at sundown? Please?" he asked.

"I would love to, of course." she said as she stroked his hair, "I am beginning to feel a little waterlogged actually."

After dressing their damp bodies in the previous night's clothes, they parted with a kiss and promise to see each other soon. Quinn felt a pang of both regret and excitement as she watched him walk the length of the hall to Solas' old room, which had a door leading to Cullen's office and quarters. He turned to give her one last look and a smile before disappearing through the door, and Quinn quickly became aware of the others in the grand room with her. A number of them had been watching her with a knowing smirk. She was sure the gossip had been running wild since the wedding, but she didn't care. Cullen and her were together now, for real. Everyone might as well get used to that fact.

She felt a rush of purpose as she quickly made her way to her room and dressed in fresh clothing and brushed her teeth. As much as she already missed him, she was glad for the opportunity to freshen up and knew exactly what she intended to do with the free two hours that stretched before her.

She made her way back down to the lower floor of Skyhold and entered the compact library that was lined from floor to ceiling with books, every surface stacked high with volumes of dusty tomes.

She read through the titles trying to figure out if there was an organization, and ended up grabbing a few that might have the information she was seeking.

She opened the book titled, Mining the Singing Stones, and quickly found a section containing detailed information about lyrium. She read through, looking for any section that might discuss lyrium addiction, but found nothing. She closed that book and picked up another on Templars, and found only a small section about the powers that lyrium gave to Templars. The book was clearly biased however, and she threw it down in disgust at how it promoted lyrium administration for the purpose of creating the most useful soldier.

Book after book seemed to offer mostly the same information, and none of it was new.

She already knew that lyrium was considered a living force, and that in its raw form it was harmful for all but the dwarves to physically handle, but even they could see ill effects if they handled it with damaged flesh such as a cut on their hands. She knew that even in its processed form it could be risky, causing side effects and addiction with prolonged use, even if that use didn't include consumption. She knew that the common belief was that for most Templars, they had only about a week after their last draught of lyrium before the withdrawal symptoms kicked in. And she knew that those usually included mostly psychological effects, such as disorientation, inability to distinguish dreams and reality, and paranoia. Some said those in withdrawal lost memories completely. Some said that it locked them into reliving the very worst memories.

After working her way slowly through two stacks of thick books and finding little more than what she already knew, she closed the last tome feeling strangely optimistic, despite all the dire warnings and graphic descriptions of side effects.

Cullen had clearly made significant progress, beyond what should have been possible according to all the lore. It had been months, possibly a year since his last draught of lyrium and as far as anyone knew he had remained mentally sharp and mostly unaffected.

He certainly didn't seem to be on the brink of madness or death. And if he were destined to reach that brink, it should have come long ago.

If crippling headaches were all that remained of his lyrium addiction, that was still better than the alternative wasn't it? Maybe Cassandra was correct, in that the effects had been overstated in order to discourage Templars from attempting to quit the potion that was supposed to keep them so tightly under control. That seemed far too simple and unlikely an explanation, however.

She wasn't fully satisfied, intending to seek out more information somehow, but it seemed that some time had passed, and she didn't want to leave Cullen waiting for her long on the battlements.

She sprinted up the stairs to the Great Hall and could tell immediately that the sun had begun its descent from the sky.

Entering their little hidden square on the battlements, she was surprised to see Cullen standing next to a small table and two chairs. The sky had just begun to glow with shades of orange and purple and as she approached the table she saw that he had it set up with two plates, a covered pot and a bowl containing what looked to be berries, as well as a flickering candle.

"May I have the pleasure of your company for dinner my dear?" he asked her. He was dressed in a dark grey buttoned up jacket and held a red rose.

Quinn was stunned, both at how stately he looked, the lines of the jacket enhancing the sharpness of his shoulders, and in the effort that had clearly been expended setting up this romantic scene.

"The pleasure is mine, Cullen." she responded, wishing she were dressed in something other than her typical plainclothes.

He held the rose out to her, and she took it, inhaling its sweet scent.

"Berries!?" she exclaimed, eyeing the bowl of plump purple and red.

"Left over from the wedding." he said.

"Cullen, this is amazing." she smiled up at him, and felt his arms encircle her in a tender embrace. They kissed, and then Cullen pulled her chair out for her beckoning her to sit.

She obeyed, and couldn't help but pop a plump berry in her mouth, which burst with juicy sweetness. He had already poured them two glasses of wine, and the covered pot in the center of the table emitted a scent that was making her mouth water.

He seated himself across from her and she found that she couldn't seem to stop smiling.

"Since Skyhold does not contain a restaurant, or any place to have a proper date, I had to improvise." he said.

"I wish I had known I was going on a date, I would have made myself a little more.. presentable."

"You look as lovely as I have ever seen you." Cullen said, making her blush. He popped a berry into his own mouth and emitted a small groan.

The pot contained a large filet of fish glazed with lemon butter, sitting atop a bed of herbed rice and took bites of the feast between telling stories about their childhood and families, and Quinn soon realized that the fish had gone cold for all their talking. He told charming tales of roughhousing and exploring the country-side with his siblings, and getting into all sorts of humorous predicaments together, until he was brought into the Templar order at the age of 13. She was careful not to ask any questions that might lead to some of his more unpleasant memories of his time in the Templars. And in return she told him all about the Lavellan clan, and of her years before acquiring the anchor and joining the Inquisition. As hungry as she was, she was so entranced by stories of his seemingly idyllic childhood, and of the endearing little crack that entered his voice occasionally, that she found herself sitting with same bite still on her fork for much longer than she intended. But even cold the fish was still delicious, and once it was finished they polished off the remaining berries.

The sun disappeared, leaving the flickering candle as the only illumination between them. Above the small table they held hands, and below their legs rested against each other.

"Would you like to visit the tavern before we retire for the night?", he asked, then added jokingly, "For old time's sake?"

"Sure!" she said, already beginning to feel oddly nostalgic for their first few nights together, even though those days were less than a week in the past. They had been filled with such nerve-wracking temptation. Temptation which had bore her sweeter and more satisfying fruit than she could have ever imagined.

"Would you mind going ahead and getting us a table while I clean up a little here?" he asked, pouring the last of the wine into her glass.

"Oh, let me help!" she said standing up and grabbing her plate. He took her hands in his and said, "No, no, that is not necessary. I am not doing much, as Rory will be coming up to take most of it away. Really, I'll only be a moment." he said, raising her hand to his lips. He handed her her glass of wine, and walked her through the tower doors to the top if the stairs leading to the courtyard.

"I'll be right down." he said.

The tavern was considerably less busy now that most of the wedding guests were gone, and there were several empty tables available on the main floor. Cabot nodded at her, and she noticed the unfamiliar girl from lunch sitting at the bar, seemingly flirting with Garret, the stablehand. Quinn picked a table halfway back, where the light was dim and she could hear the words being sung by the bard. She sat facing the door and sipped on her glass while she turned her body to a better position to look around. The unfamiliar girl cast her eyes in Quinn's direction a few times and her curiosity grew. Why was the girl looking at her the way that she was? Quinn had to remind herself that many people still seemed to be fascinated by the famed Inquisitor, even though she didn't really feel like she had done much of note since the defeat of Corypheus. If anything it was the advisors who had stepped up and shouldered most of the real post-war duties. But there was something in the girl's eyes that seemed to be more than just that simple fascination.

She didn't have much time to continue to ponder the situation as Cullen entered the bar, carrying his glass of wine. She waved him over and he grabbed the chair stationed across from her and swung it so that they were sitting side by side.

He slid his arm around her waist as soon as they were seated. Their backs were now to the bar, and the strange girl, and she found that she and Cullen were both grinning.

"Deja vu." she said.

"Except this time I can do this…" he said as he leaned in for a kiss.

"Thank the Maker for that." she said.

"Ahh… A week ago I never would have guessed this is how we would end up." he said, sipping on his wine.

"Only in my dreams at any rate. I have this to thank." he said gesturing down at his wine. "And those frighteningly forward women. Thank the Maker that they were here, and also that they're gone." And at that they clinked glasses.

"In your dreams, you say?"

"Well, yes. Especially seeing you in that red dress. Maker's breath." he said.

"What do you think would have happened if those women weren't here?" she asked.

"Well my crush on you would have been catapulted into… an all-consuming infatuation at the very least, the moment I saw you at the ceremony."

Quinn felt her cheeks grow hot.

"I would have asked you to dance, for sure. And then… I don't know. I am not very good at this stuff. I am sure you've noticed." he said. She smiled as she recalled all his throat clearing and occasional stammering.

"But I guess when you know what you really want, you do what you need to do to make things happen, right?" he continued, his hand pulling on her.

She looked up into this warm brown eyes and sighed happily.

She wondered what she herself would have done when she saw him looking so sharp and sexy in his black suit. She wondered if that would have been the night that she had noticed him again on her own. If those women hadn't been there. If she hadn't already spent two nights in excruciating proximity to him.

She wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled into his neck, breathing in his sharp scent. The memory of how she held herself back made her new ability to embrace him openly, completely, seem like such a blessed luxury.

"I hope you'll be coming to bed with me." Quinn said, "though I'll warn you, I am ready for a good night's sleep."

He laughed, "An army of demons couldn't stop me from coming to bed with you tonight. Even to sleep. I don't think I'll be capable of much else myself."

Two figures passed them on their way toward the door, and Quinn barely registered them. But after she pulled herself from Cullen's neck she saw that it was the strange girl, and Garret. Though she and the stablehand were arm in arm, the girl had her eyes cast over her shoulder, looking not at Quinn, but at Cullen. Once again something in the look unnerved her a little.

Her eyes met the girl's for the briefest of moments before they were out the door. But her suspicions were now raised, to the extent that Quinn told herself that at the next opportunity, she would introduce herself to the girl. There's no use wondering about her when it was just as easy to go say hello and ask her about it.

Quinn waited at the base of the stairs while Cullen ran to his quarters to fetch a change of clothes and few personal effects, and then they made their way through the Great Hall to Quinn's quarters, falling into bed with an exhaustion that quickly overtook them both.