Chp. 3: Playing…. Chess
For over three long weeks, Talise carved a bloody path through the Inquisition's enemies. Sometimes working on her own, sometimes with a small group of scouts, sometimes even with the Herald. She stopped for only a day or so at a time, taking out her grief and despair on the enemies that surrounded them. Stolen documents, whispered conversations that she overhead, plots and plans she ran into, it all filtered back to the Nightingale, while she dispatched as many enemies of the Inquisition as fast as she could.
In the quiet of night, she found herself writing letters. One morning the sun had blazed over the mountains in the Frostbacks, the dark blue of night fading to a blaze of crimson, gold and amber, and she had described it on paper, addressed it to the Commander, and sent it to him directly before she realized what she was doing. Working in Orlais she had found a tome of chants and prayers, and the next day the dark brown leather-bound book was sitting on his desk, with a note carefully tucked between the first few pages; For the next time the words won't come.
Much as he disliked gossip, Cullen found himself talking to Varric, asking questions about Talise. The first few responses the surface dwarf had walked him through; explaining that it was Talise, not Ghost, writing him, that he was seeing a side of the woman few did. After that, Cullen found himself relishing the moment in the afternoon, always in the afternoon, when he responded to whatever she had written him. He told her about the sunsets from the ramparts, near his office, about the blue morning glories that bloomed down in the garden, near where he played chess, about the stars he saw at night, when he could not sleep. Then he went to Cassandra, who offered him a piece of advice while sparring with him, "She means more than she says, trust me, I know. So now it's your turn. Tell her what you really mean when you write to her."
Talise,
You broke my heart that first night, when you were in the chapel, crying over your brother. I have no idea what to do with a crying woman, I always seem to say the wrong thing. I hope I said the right thing, I hope it brought your comfort.
I will say it. I'm looking forward to your return. I want to see how good you are at chess. And show you the morning glories, they grow in a shadowy spot where the sun hits them late in the morning, and I don't always get a chance to see them, but when the sun finally breaks over the ramparts, they open to the most indescribable blue color.
I could never place the color, until I looked at you. It's your eyes, they are the color of your eyes.
Will I see you when you get back?
Cullen
He was standing in his office, nearly a month after Talise and Valissia had shown up at Skyhold, holding the last letter she had sent in his hand, his cheeks burning, but unable to stop himself from smiling.
Cullen,
We are leaving tomorrow morning, we will probably be close to Skyhold by the time you get this.
Thank you. For writing to me, for reminding me of all the good left in the world, all there is left to fight for, while I have been away. I want to sit in the garden with the morning glories and play chess with you now, it's given me something to look forward to. Besides a bath, Maker's breath, I'd sell my soul for a hot bath right now.
Most of my life has been spent in the shadows. They make the best places to hide. But they are also cold and lonely. Every time you've looked at me, I've felt like I was standing in sunshine, warm and maybe even safe.
Will you show me the morning glories when I get back?
Talise
"You like her", the smirk on Dorian's face was audible in his words as the mage lounged in the doorway to Cullen's office, leaning one muscled shoulder against the doorway.
"Like who?" A hand raked through tawny, golden tresses, the blush on his cheeks darkening in color.
"Talise. The Ghost of Ferelden walked into Skyhold and just upended your world", the Tevinter mage continued to speak as he pushed from the doorway, and walked to stand in front of Cullen's desk.
"Of course I like her. She's a skilled assassin and spy, a talented rogue. She's an asset to this cause that we badly need." Carefully, he tucked Talise's last letter into a small box, and sat it next to the book of prayers and chants she had sent him from Orlais.
"Gorgeous. You forgot about the gorgeous part." A dark eyebrow lifted as Dorian watched Cullen tuck the letter he was holding in a box, but Dorian said nothing about it.
"Moonlight on water" the words were out of Cullen's mouth before he could stop them, and he cursed as Dorian laughed.
"She has you speaking like Varric", Dorian laughed harder, walking towards the door, "You're that far gone. C'mon, let's play some chess, get your mind off things."
Cullen nodded, shoving away from his desk and following the mage down to the garden. He needed to clear his head, he needed to put the letters from Talise down, he needed fresh air. He needed to see a shadow outside coalesce into her form, but until that happened, he would settle for chess.
It had taken little more than three weeks of fighting, spying, three weeks of immersing herself into a bloody world, for the grief to fade to a dull ache. One morning, she had talked with Iron Bull, about her brother, and the path he had walked, and how she could not grieve for a man who chose his own path. She had ignored the teasing comments about Cullen, her cheeks heating in a blush that had the Qunari warrior chuckling for hours whenever he looked at her. She had emerged from the time believing in herself, in her own worth, and ready to take on the fight with the Inquisition. Already her contacts were working, actively trying to ferret out any information they could find, and get it back to her.
For now, she was sitting on a bench in the garden, her knees drawn to her chest, watching Cullen play Dorian in chess, watching the light filter through his golden hair, watching the way his brow furrowed in thought. He turned his head enough and she saw the scar that cut down to his lips, for a moment she wanted to trace the path with her own, the idea bringing a hot blush to her cheeks.
"Your face is going to freeze like that", the long dress Valissa wore, rustled as she walked, a whisper of silk against the stones and grass. Lifting one side of the dress, she moved to the bench, sitting down besides Talise.
Talise's smooth features were dark with a blush, even as she was studied Cullen with all the intent of an assassin, and her bright cerulean gaze was locked onto him, "I wonder what he fights like."
Valissia could not help the laughter that shook her thin shoulders, and she buried her face in her hands, strands of red hair escaping the braids coiled around her head, "Blessed Andraste, you're watching that man, right now, and you're thinking of fighting?"
"It was a compliment. His prowess is battle is well known. Rarely do I get the chance to fight openly", Talise scowled at Valissia, moving to lean against the mage even as she glared at her, her eyes twinkling with irritation, "But no, that was not all I was thinking about."
"Here, let me do your hair and I will tell you what I see when I see Commander Rutherford", Valissia lifted the small pack she had, besides a spell book tucked with it, she had a comb and a several hair pins, "I was on my way to the mage tower, but I think I would rather watch you, watch him play chess."
Without speaking, Talise moved to sit on the ground between Valissia's feet, sighing happily as her dearest friend dug her fingers into her hair, easing the tangles from the long tresses, before starting to work on it with a long comb, "and I know you don't like your hair up, so I won't put it up, I promise."
Talise leaned her head against one of Valissia's silken covered knees, her eyes closed, and slowly she relaxed, "Tell me what you see when you look at him."
"Oh my heart, you have it bad", Valissia grinned, lifting the mass of Talise's dark hair up, and started to work on a few small braids around the assassin's delicate face, "You don't look like a famous assassin. It always shocks me, realizing the owner of this face owns more knives than I think are in the armory."
Cullen sat across the courtyard, embroiled in a lengthy game of chess with Dorian, but he had not made a move in several minutes, instead he watched Talise and Valissia, the mage's fiery shocks shining brightly in the muted sunlight, as she combed through Talise's dark, gleaming hair. His fingers clenched around the chess piece he held, earning him a sigh of irritation from Dorian, and he blinked, looking down at the chessboard, "Sorry."
"She is extraordinarily beautiful" Dorian mused, quickly taking the piece Cullen had just put down, "They both are, actually. But you still sit on the edge of the chessboard, rather than go after the piece you want."
"Are we going to play chess or not?" Cullen grumbled, but his gaze, warm like honey, kept going back to Talise. Her eyes were closed, dark lashes protecting her gaze, as she relaxed against Valissia's leg. It was rare for the assassin to fully relax, and Cullen understood why; years of training, and years of experience after that, kept her on guard.
"I thought we were talking about you and Talise." Dorian grinned at Cullen across the table, his dark eyes sparkling merrily, "You know, I thought you had taken a vow of chastity. Sworn off women completely."
"What? I… No." Cullen rubbed at the back of his neck, "Some templars do. I didn't. Maker's breath, just go already."
"I see golden hair, and those warm eyes you just want to sink into. And that scar on his lip, and those broad shoulders. If you stood close enough to him Talise, we wouldn't be able to see you, look how tall he is." Valissia continued to work, taking a small comb and working it through her friend's hair, gently easing tangles from it.
Talise nodded, her lashes lifting at the description, her mouth dry as she followed Valissia's description with her eyes, but she said nothing. Skillful, talented hands continue to plait her hair, working the smaller braids into the long, chocolate dark tresses, and then working all her hair into one longer braid, "Hold still, or it will be crooked."
"He has nice hands." The words were spoken on a soft sigh as Talise looked over at Cullen, her sharp, sky touched eyes watching his fingers as he played chess.
Valissia nodded in response, her fingers nimbly working Talise's long hair into a single braid, compromised of many smaller ones, "Oh Talise, he has gorgeous hands. I was watching him at dinner the other day, and he has long fingers, and strong hands."
"I noticed too" Talise grumbled, squirming as Valissia turned her head one way and then the other, "I wonder if you would see anything but him."
"What do you mean?" the redheaded mage frowned in confusion, tilting Talise's head backwards to look into her gaze.
"Valissia, you're no blushing school girl. You know when you're with a man, and you look up at him. Cullen is tall, and his shoulders so broad, I wonder if he would hide the world while you were with him", Talise could not help the naked sigh of want that escaped her.
Behind her, Valissia dropped a hair pin, studded with a tiny ceramic flower in deep blue, "My word Talise, you've grown positively poetic around the Commander. And probably so. Is that what you want then? To be engulfed by someone?"
"Yes. By him." The words were whispered behind her fingers, as Talise peered across the courtyard at Cullen, a blush rising to her high cheeks.
Valissia slid another few flower studded hair pins into Talise's hair, before leaning back and eyeing her work critically, a grin curving her lips, "I knew there was passion underneath that cool exterior. I am glad to see it finally emerge."
"Tell me Cullen, have you ever been with a woman like that?" Dorian frowned in thought, moving one piece on the chessboard after careful deliberation.
Cullen was grateful for the game, to be able to focus on something other than Talise. She was distracting, every time he looked over at her she was looking at him from under a veil of lashes, and the glimpses of her bright cerulean gaze seemed to arrow into him, "There is no woman like that, besides her."
"All the right curves in the all the right places." Dorian grinned wolfishly at the Commander, lifting an eyebrow at him, "Have you seen her spar yet?"
"Just for a few moments." The Commander kept his gaze focused on the chess board, meeting Dorian's gaze and grin with a blush that darkens the tops of cheeks, and almost touches the start of the scar on the side of his face.
Still Dorian grins, his not-quite-green and not-quite-gold gaze dancing with mirth, "She's very… flexible. A woman like that could almost curl herself around you entirely."
A hot blush rose to Cullen's cheeks, and the chess piece in his fingers nearly fell to the chess board. The game was forgotten as the two men sat talking, watching Valissia work Talise's hair into something elegant, yet simple. Cullen barely moved, barely took his eyes from Talise as he spoke, "I could probably carry her in one arm."
"Think of the possibilities then." Dorian reacted swiftly as Cullen finally made his move, winning the chess game in one move, "And that's the game."
"Yes, it is." He settled back in his chair, his gaze still locked on Talise, watching her as Valissia lifted her small chin, the long line of her throat revealed to him. His heart thudded against his ribs, his blood warming at the sight of vulnerable, smooth skin.
"Well, this game at least." Standing up, the Tevinter mage beckoned Talise to him, "Let me see your hair love."
As Dorian spoke, Talise tilted her head back down, her sky touched gaze collided with his honeyed one, and she had to bite her lip to keep from whimpering. Looking at him was like stepping into sunshine, like walking into a pool of golden light in the morning. She did not move until Valissia did, tipping her head back so that they looked at each other upside down.
"Go on love, go play… chess with the Commander", Valissia grinned down at Talise, leaning to plant a tender kiss on the assassin's forehead, "Offer a favor to him if he beats you."
Talise unfolded her legs, long for her short height, and stood, rising to her feet with an easy, natural grace that took Cullen's breath away, as Valissia dusted the back of her shirt and leggings off, before rising herself, taking Dorian's offered arm.
"You have a special bond. Friends like that are rare", there was a wistful note, for just a moment, in Dorian's voice as he walked with Valissia, "Come, I'll help you with your studies, I have an idea."
Talise cast one last look over her shoulder, her gaze met with encouraging smiles from both Dorian and Valissia, before walking soundlessly to Cullen, "Care to play one more game?"
"If you would like" Cullen watched her, his eyes tracking over her cool, pale skin as she took the chair across from him, "I didn't know you played."
"Valissia and Jordan both did. Every time I came to Denerim, I had to play chess with him, and we always ended drinking too much while we played", Talise grinned at the memory, watching as Cullen reset the board.
"Too much?" He set up the board, flicking his glance to Talise when she mentioned drinking.
Talise nodded, studying the board intently, "I always ended up drunk, and hungover, the next morning."
Cullen laughed at that, leaning back in his chair and motioning for Talise to make the first move on the chess board, "The headache always lingered long into the day for me."
"I hate the part where the world spins", Talise blinked when Cullen took away a piece already, her eyebrows lifting, "Oh. You're better at this than I assumed."
"I used to play with my sister, who took delight in winning. I had to be good to finally beat her" He smiled at Talise across the table, a genuine smile, warm like the sun.
"Valissia is a master at this. I can never beat her", she frowns in concentration, before making another move on the board.
As soon as Talise had made his move, he made his, capturing another piece, "Maybe I could teach you a few things, and you can next time you play",
"Speaking of her, she told me something before I came over here to play", taking a piece from Cullen's side in a move, Talise looked up at him, twirling the piece between her fingers.
His armor clinked softly as he leaned back in his chair again, steepling his fingers together as he watched her, "And that was?"
It takes a moment for her to speak, while she gathers her nerve, and when she finally does, she keeps her thickly lashed gaze firmly on the chessboard in front of her, "She said I should offer you a favor if you win"
He paused them, looking up at her intently, his gaze focused on her until she lifted her eyes to him. When her summer bright gaze finally collided with his, he smirked, "Then I shall have to play my best."
Talise won the game. At first, she had been teasing, willing to let Cullen win, but at a challenging look from him, she had focused on the game, moving pieces around the board, drawing him into several defensive traps, until finally, Cullen leaned back, "And I believe that is the game."
"Does this mean I get a favor from you then?" A smile, a genuine smile curled the corners of her lips upwards, as she looked up at Cullen from under a forest of lashes, unable to meet his gaze suddenly.
"It only seems fair", Cullen leaned back, looking around, his brow furrowing as he thought about what to get her, until his eyes landed on a far corner of the garden, "Stay here, and I'll bring it to you."
Talise watched as he watched away, sighing at the breadth of his shoulders. She had been right, laying beneath him he would block out the world; a shiver coasted down her spine, prickling her skin as she imagined it. He walked past a small table, picked a flower, and turned, walking back to her, his hands held behind his back.
It was the longest walk he had ever taken, holding that delicate morning glory in his hands, cupping them carefully around the flower to keep from bruising the soft, delicate petals. When he got back to the chess table, he stopped, suddenly unsure of himself, while no stranger to sex, he had never truly done anything like this, something that felt remarkably close to courting.
Curiousity gleamed in Talise's gaze, and he could not help but grin as she looked up at him expectedly, sure of himself once more, "Forgive me for picking one."
The almost ethereal, thin petals were cupped in one large, gloved hand, the colors a swirling mix of shades of blue, deepening to the color of the midnight sky at the edges, and for a moment Talise could not move, she just stared at it, before reaching out and taking the flower with fingers that shook just a bit, "This is probably the most beautiful flower I have ever seen."
Relief washed over Cullen, as he realized he had made the right move, Talise's face lit up with a genuine smile, "It will wilt though. Perhaps one of the mages knows a spell to preserve it."
"Valissia might", she held the flower cupped reverently in her palm, a dark forest of lashes hiding her gaze as she looked down at the fragile petals.
"Dorian will, I'm sure", his fingers caught hers, held her hand as she held the flower, and he wished suddenly he had pulled the leather gloves he always wore off. He remembered how soft her skin was from the day she stood for judgment, suddenly he wanted to feel it against his sword calloused fingers again.
"Thank you Cullen. For everything. For helping me see the light", she rose then, her knees wobbling a bit, but her movements still unearthly graceful.
"Thank you, for reminding me to look for it", he whispered the words, more to top of her head, for she was standing in front of him, staring at their entwined hands.
"Cullen?" her head lifted, revealing an almost shy gaze to him as she spoke.
He sucked in a breath, lost in her eyes as soon as she looked at him, his free hand clenching with the effort it took from reaching for her, "What is it Talise?"
"We're at war, and you're the Commander and you're always busy and I'm not sure what I am within the Inquisition," she spoke the words in a rush, nerves getting the best of her, and for a moment she had to sink her teeth into her lip, before speaking slower, "But I want more. More of this."
"More flowers?" The corner of his lips lifted in a small smile at her words, his fingers gently brushing over hers.
She nodded, smiling a little at his gentle tease, "More flowers. More chess. More time with you."
He moved then, unable to take it anymore, his free hand curling around her small back, feeling the muscles there jump even though his glove, moving the hand that held hers around the morning glory carefully out of the way, before bringing her to him fully, "I shouldn't ask for more, but I want to."
In a heartbeat, Talise knew what was coming, and she leaned into him, curling her free hand, the one not holding the flower with him, around his neck, meeting his lips halfway. It was a tender kiss, almost chaste, his lips pressed gently to hers, but a warmth spread through her, pooling in her limbs, curling around the spot between her thighs, and she whimpered, tightening her grip on his neck. He felt her lean into him, felt her, even though his armor, press into his frame, and he shivered for a moment, his skin breaking out in chills, her lips parted underneath his, a shy invitation and he took it, sliding his tongue around hers for a long moment, before slowly drawing back.
It took several kisses, stolen from each other, as they started to untangle themselves, until Cullen left Talise standing in the garden, holding the striking flower in her palm, her lips swollen and her cheeks pink, a smile on her face, "Will I see you again Commander?"
"Of course. Whenever you want to see me" Was his answer, just as he stepped into a bustling hallway, and was swept away by the tide of war.