Chapter 6: Orlesian Chocolate
Several mornings after Amelia's tumultuous arrival, Talise wandered through the hallways of the keep, staying away from the bedrooms and barracks, but making her way through common areas, she was standing in the kitchen, stuffing a pastry into her mouth when Leiliana stepped behind her. No one had been able to sneak up on the assassin, but now Leiliana watched as Talise froze, half the pastry in her hand, standing in the doorway of the kitchen.
Across the courtyard, Cullen was practicing with some soldiers, leading them through a series of exercises, wooden practice swords clanking against each other as the soldiers sparred. The Commander moved between them, adjusting the grip one soldier had, the angle another blocked, until the moves were precise. As Leiliana watched, Talise swallowed, her eyes wide as she looked at Cullen, a blush starting to form on the tops of her cheeks; but the Nightingale noticed something else, Talise had given no notice she had heard footsteps behind her. There was no telltale twitch of her head in the direction of the sound, she did not look behind her, did not shift her weight in anticipation. Other than swallowing what looked to be a huge bite out of the pastry, Talise had not moved.
Leiliani knew two things in that moment, Talise loved sweets, and something was stirring between her and Cullen. A smile lifted the spymaster's lips, and she deliberately brushed against a bowl, making it clatter on the table, announcing her presence. Talise's shoulder jerked, before she turned, masking her surprise, but not the blush that now bloomed across her cheeks, "It's been a long time since I was caught unawares."
"I'm not sure if it was the pastry that had your attention," Leiliana leaned against the counter Talise was at, grinning in triumph, "Or something else. Is the practice in the courtyard really that interesting?"
Sooty lashes covered Talise's gaze for a moment, before she narrowed her eyes at Leiliana, "Either you're deliberately being dumb, or you are blind."
"Blind?"
"How have you missed that?" The hand still holding the rest of the pastry lifted, pointing out the window towards Cullen.
"The Commander? I speak with him every day. I work with him. He is an admirable man", Leiliana kept her expression surprised, although she had to bite her lip to keep from grinning.
"And he doesn't sleep well. He is tired and overworked and…" the words burst out from Talise, surprising her. For years she had rarely talked to anyone except her brother or Valissia, and now she couldn't seem to shut up.
"And?" Leiliana prompted, leaning against the doorway, gloved arms folded over her chest.
"And?" Talise walked out of the kitchen, coming to a stop in the sunlight, staring again, "No one seems to want to ease his burden."
"You want to?" although she spoke the question almost off-handedly, the spymaster was watching Talise, her icy blue gaze noticing the way Talise kept looking towards Cullen.
"Me? What? How would I?" from behind a curtain of dark, shining hair, Talise looked over at Leiliana, using her hair to try and mask the emotions on her face. She was letting her heart get ahead of her, and her burgeoning feelings for Cullen were also unsettled. Coupled with Leiliana's accurate assumptions about her feelings, Talise was left feeling rather exposed.
"If I may make a suggestion. Be who you were less", Leiliana paused, letting the implication of her words sink in, be Ghost less, "And be who you are now more. I know you read well, that you've been helping Valissia with her research. I know you have yet to lose a game of chess to anyone, although I think Cullen lets you win. I know that you like sweets. Be that person."
Understanding gleaming in her bright gaze, shoving her dark hair back away from her face, Talise turned to Leiliana, "You spymaster, are an incurable romantic."
Leiliana nodded, grinning, "And I love shoes. But I have come to talk to you about something besides shoes. And Cullen."
"What is it?" Talise looked away from Cullen, glad for the distraction, the more she looked at him, the more her heart hammered in her chest.
"I was wondering if you would talk to my scouts. I know I told you to be Ghost less, and I mean that with Cullen", Leiliana gestured towards the courtyard, where the Commander was dismissing the soldiers from practice, "But your skills are legendary. I was wondering if you would teach them?"
"I can't… I mean, I didn't think of taking an apprentice.", the words are mumbled around another mouthful of pastry, and she shakes her head no at the words, shock evident in her gaze.
Leiliana could not help but grin at Talise's pastry-stuffed, wide-eyed refusal. She was struck again that Talise, as she was, did not come across as Ghost. She had been much the same, before life had changed, "Oh no no. Not that. They are all talented and skilled. But yours surpass any I've seen, and you could probably teach them more. It would free me to help the Herald."
Talise regarded Leiliana thoughtfully, mulling the idea over in her head, before nodding, "Like Cullen does. Just polish their skills a bit, in a large class, rather than individual training?"
Leiliana nodded, "We would have to come up with a cover story. I trust my scouts to keep your identity secret, but the gossip spreads in this place like wild fire."
"Let's be honest, the rumors have already started. It will not be long until Talise Montgomery and the Ghost of Ferelden are linked," Talise took another bite of pastry, sighing as she did, "These are delicious. I want to eat a basket full."
"Are you alright with that? You've carefully hidden your identity for years, no one seemed to be able to track you down." Leiliana nodded in agreement, taking a pastry for herself, "It always makes my day when the cooks make these."
"Yes. And no. I'm tired of being Ghost. I'm tired of being…" Talise paused, her eyes softening for a moment as she watched Cullen again, "Alone. But bringing together the two parts of my life is disconcerting."
"I understand. If you want to make a cover story, come up with something. Rumors are just that, rumors, and people can speculate all they want about who Ghost is," Leiliana turns, making her way out of the kitchen as servants started to come in, "And remember, just be yourself. With him I mean."
With muttered curses and flushed cheeks, Talise walked into the shadows, heading up the ramparts, and then atop one of the towers, sitting on the stone and letting her legs tangle over the side. Up this high, with views of bright snow and mountains, her head started to clear. She had lived in shadows and secrecy all of her life, more Ghost than Talise; she could count on one hand the number of people that knew her, even fewer than knew who she was.
A little over a month ago, in the court of the Inquisition, she had openly confessed to being the Ghost of Ferelden; Cullen had yelled at Varric, had watched her with those warm, honey and whiskey eyes. At first, he had not believed her, and then, when she expected judgment, he had defended her. She was here because she forgot how to think when she looked into his warm gaze, any reasonable, rational thought escaped her when she looked at him.
The two sides of her life had come together, colliding in an explosion inside of Skyhold, for a moment she was dizzy with nerves, and she leaned against one of the merlons atop the wall, closing her eyes. Soon she would lose the ability to hide, as news of her arrival would spread with the gossip in Skyhold, and she would no longer be a face in the crowd. Several breaths later, she eased back from the edge of the wall, making her way down through a hole in the tower ceiling, and then slipping out through a door.
Finally done for the day, Cullen walked down the hallway, his footsteps echoing against the stone floor. He could not take his office any longer, could not be in that room, cooped up, for another moment. Despite their wins, despite the faint hint of hope in this war, he was perpetually busy.
He saw little more than glimpses of Talise, a flash of her eyes here, the sight of her back retreating there. Rarely had they been in the same room together, and the brief hints of her presence had gotten under his skin. It was infuriating really, to almost ache for a glimpse of her like some school boy with a crush.
As he rounded a corner, he thought about all he had learned about the enigmatic woman. She was skilled in subterfuge, adept at poisons, well-trained in combat, if the practice sessions she had sparred with Leiliana's scouts was any indication. From her time in the library, he knew she could read and write in at least 2 languages, and knew a smattering of elvish, enough to interact with the elves here in Skyhold in their native language. He could not stop the smile that crossed her face as he thought of her, remembering just a few days past, when he had found her in the kitchen, her cheeks puffed out from the cookies she had been eating. On top of everything else, Talise loved sweets.
It was incongruous really, watching a woman feared around the world as an assassin, sit with a mug of milk and a pile of cookies, dunking them like a child. He had the feeling that Talise was emerging from a carefully built shell; and for a moment his heart hurt for the woman she should have been. A carefree woman, who could read and eat cookies whenever she wanted, where ever she wanted.
He came to a stop outside one of the common rooms, where Christopher leaned against the wall across from the doorway, holding a small box and a book. The Herald looked up, and smiled, gesturing with the box towards the room, "Come for a lesson?"
"Lesson?"
"Leiliana has asked Talise to teach her scouts. She has been training with them, but also teaching them. It's interesting, to see things from the perspective of someone like her."
"There isn't anyone like her." Cullen spoke the words before he could stop himself, raking a hand through his hair when he realized what his words had revealed.
"True. But there isn't anyone like Valissia either. Or Leiliana. Or Cassandra. Or you. We are all each unique, pieces in a puzzle."
"That is surprisingly deep."
"Here, when she finishes up, give her the box." Christopher dodged the comment, and pointed towards Talise, "She has a thing for sweets, and I found these in a shipment. Orlesian chocolate."
"And the book?"
"That's personal" Christopher grinned, following Valissia as she slipped out of the room. The mage had attended every lesson Talise had taught, and several of the sparring sessions. Out of loyalty to her friend, but also keen to learn, she knew better how to construct wards, how to spot a spy, when Talise explained her own methods.
Cullen found himself standing in the hallway, holding a box of chocolate, as Talise sat on the table in the middle of the room, looking at her notes. She never stood at a lecturn, preferring to sit in a circle and talk to those who were listening, however she sat on a table, or a tall bar stool, so she could see everyone. The shirt she wore was distracting, thin silk, with a large keyhole cut into the back, revealing smooth skin, the front had a smaller keyhole, just flirting with her cleavage, the soft skin that made Cullen's mouth water as he stared at it.
A scout spoke from one side of the room, slouching comfortably in a chair, "How do you know who the real threat is?"
"You mean who the good ones are and who is just bragging?" Talise looked over at him, her brow lifting in question
"That too."
"The good ones don't talk. You don't hear Leiliana boasting of her work do you?" as several people in the room nodded in agreement, Talise pressed on, her booted feet swinging off the side of the table as she spoke, "We don't brag. You don't become one of us for the glory. If someone is bragging about their accomplishments, or all their contacts, or about all the jobs they've worked, you can expect one of two things. They're lying; or they're talking to catch your attention, and when you're distracted, someone else will make their move."
Several of Leiliana's scouts nodded in vigorous agreement, and Talise took a moment to talk about how to blend in better, explaining how to create distractions, how to use crowds to blend in, when the best time of day to execute a mission was. Cullen was a little shocked to find out that Talise did not work in the dead of night, but rather just before sunrise, when the night guards were tired, and their replacements not on shift yet; and the shadows still deep enough to hide in. As scouts trickled out of the room, he nodded to them, but stayed where he was, booted feet crossed at the ankle, leaning against the wall.
Talise looked up her from her notes, her bright, swirling gaze catching Cullen's, and instantly her cheeks pinkened. She slid off the table, the leather pants she wore creaking slightly, the matching boots, in black, thudding softly on the carpet as she landed, "Commander. I didn't expect such an impressive audience this evening."
He was blushing, stammering for a moment, his fingers clutching the box before he recovered, "I am sorry to say I missed your lesson."
"It wasn't too indepth today. Just talking about how to better hide in plain sight. Not wearing perfume, skipping flashy clothes, basic stuff", she crossed the room, and then stepped into the hallway, stopping in front of him.
"Yet… You're wearing perfume" Cullen took a deep breath, catching a teasing hint of some light, floral, as she stood before him.
"We might make a rogue out of you yet" she grinned up at him, through her blush, "But I meant more when you are working. What you do on your time off is yours."
One gloved hand lifted from the box he was wearing, and gestured to the more relaxed clothes she wore, "I see. So you wear perfume and silk shirts when you're not working?"
"And read. And eat too many sweets." Summer bright gaze sparkling with humor, Talise nodded up at him, agreeing with his words.
She had provided him with an opening, he realized, and he held the box out, "Here, Orlesian chocolate, it came in on the last shipment."
"Chocolate?" Talise perked, looking down at the box, reaching for the top of the box even as Cullen held it.
"MmmHmmm." He nodded, letting the assassin flip the top of the box open, grinning when she sighed at the sight of the chocolate, nestled in pieces of thin wax paper.
Talise had a piece of it in her mouth before Cullen could react, and she heaved a sigh, letting the smooth candy melt on her tongue, her eyes closing in pleasure.
At the sound, Cullen sucked in a breath, but he nearly lost his grip on the box at the look on face, eyes closed, pleasure relaxing her finely boned features. She was gorgeous, and that face looked more like a woman in an intimate embrace, than a woman eating chocolate. He must has groaned, must had stammered out a response, because her eyes flicked open and she looked up at him, swallowing the bite of candy.
"That is the best chocolate in the world." She reached gently into the box, and picked up a piece, holding it out for him. "Here."
He had no idea what possessed him, but suddenly he found himself tugging a glove off with his teeth, before taking the offered candy from her. She was right, it was good chocolate, melting slowly, smoothly, and he sighed.
Talise stared up at him, watching him relax, for just a moment, and she was tempted to feed him more, to insist he stand in the hallway and eat the entire box. Or maybe drag him to the quiet of the library, where he could rest. But suddenly she was inspired, and she took the box from him, "I'm going to go up to the ramparts and eat chocolate. The views are incredible there."
Cullen blinked, staring in her eyes had muddled his head and he couldn't think for a moment, "You are?"
"Yep" Talise turned, walking down the hallway, her hips gently swaying back and forth, "You coming, or do you have important work to do?"
"I…" He was torn. There was a stack of paperwork to be seen to in his office, reports that he had to read, commands to be issued. But he found himself following her, "No. Nothing that can not wait."
As Cullen turned the corner and walked up towards the ramparts, Leiliana slid around the corner, stepping out of a shadow, and grinned to herself. Slowly but surely Cullen and Talise were coming together
Half of the chocolate was gone. The box was sitting on the stone wall of the rampart, and Talise leaned beside it, her eyes taking in the view. The sun was almost gone, the valley below dark, but the sky overhead was streaked with red and orange, the colors slowly giving way to a deep velvety blue sky. It was her favorite time of day.
"Cullen", She turned to him as she spoke, and suddenly all the words stopped in her throat. He was staring at her, less than an arm's length from her. They had been talking companionably, revealing bits and pieces of themselves, carefully stepping around the burning tension between them.
But it had grown until the air was thick with it. One of her slender hands reached for his, and as soon as her fingers brushed his, he moved. She moved at the same time, turning to him, stepping toward him, as he pulled her to him, and her breath whooshed out of her lungs, her lips parting in surprise. She didn't get a word out, he slid one hand into her hair, the other around her waist, and his lips were on hers.
It was like getting struck by lightning. Amelia had shocked her with a spell once, that was what it felt like. Her skin was tingling, her hands lifting to curl around his neck, tugging him to her, even as her lips parted beneath his. She couldn't get close enough, couldn't get more, and she whimpered, tightening her hold on his neck, which lifted her to toes.
Cullen groaned, turning her until she was pressed to the wall of the rampart, lifting her slightly and pinning her there with his weight. His hand moved from her hair to gently cradle her face, his lips pressing to hers again and again, until hers parted, and he deepened the kiss, his tongue brushing against hers. He groaned again, breaking the kiss and heaving a breath into his lungs.
"Stop me. You have to stop me", he whispered the words into Talise's hair, shivering in her arms, his hips pressing against hers.
It took her several moments, several deep breaths, to understand what he was saying, "Stop you? Why?"
"Because I want too much. I want too much from you, I want you too much", he ground out the words, his hands sliding to her hair and tightening in it for a moment.
"Is that a bad thing?" Her fingers brushed against the front of his surcoat, curling into the fur that trimmed the top of it.
Once more he pressed his lips to hers, rubbing his tongue against hers in a provocative motion until he broke the kiss to heave a breath into his lungs, "I will end up taking you here and now. You have to stop me."
His words sent a jolt through Talise's body, and she shook her head at his words, her arms sliding up around his neck again, her fingers sinking deeply into the furs he wore, tugging him to her. Cullen found her mouth again, and their kiss grew passionate, hotter, deeper. He managed to pull her to him, and turn them towards his office, managed to get them two steps, when voices emerged from a hallway that led to the ramparts.
"Do you think anyone will be up here?", the Herald's voice carried up the stairs, laughter in his words.
"If Talise is up here she will hear us, and she'll be gone before-" Valissia stopped abruptly, jolting forward when Christopher bumped into her from behind.
"Oof. What? Why did you stop?" He had to put one calloused hand out on the top of a merlon to keep himself from falling further into Valissia, and knocking her small form over completely.
Valissia did not speak a word, instead she stared at the scene in front of her. Talise was wrapped in Cullen's arms, her face buried in the fur he wore, his hands still tangled in her long locks, their legs entwined enough it was a miracle they could walk.
One small hand lifted, and Valissia pressed it to her burning cheek, which flushed in embarrassment. It was obvious what Cullen and Talise had been doing, and just as obvious as what her and Christopher had been about to be doing, "Oh my. I am so sorry. Please forgive me."
"It appears the ramparts are a popular place to come for a… walk", Christopher could not help the smirk that curled his lips, he met the Commander's eyes over the top of both women's head with an approving nod. Cullen's cheeks flushed, but he maintained his grip on Talise, and met Christopher's grin with one of his own.
"Valissia. I love you with all my heart. But I am going to murder you in your sleep" Talise's voice was shaky, she was quivering with denied passion, the blood roaring in her veins still.
"There's nothing saying you can't finish. I believe his office is just over that way" Christopher grinned, one arm sneaking around Valissia's waist and pulling her back to him, "We'll head back to the library. To do some research."
"Dead. You are so dead." Talise gritted the words out, even though she hadn't moved, before lifting her face towards Cullen. The Commander was blushing, taking several tries to get words out, but he still held her secure against him, and she grinned when she saw him look towards his office.
"I want this. More than anything", Cullen sighed, tangling his hands in her hair once more, it was like thick, heavy silk, "But you deserve better."
"What do you mean?" A tremble wracked Talise's frame, and she curled her fingers into his surcoat.
"You deserve roses. All kinds of flowers. Poetry. Books and long walks", he ran one hand down her back slowly, pressing her closer to him.
She fought to keep the pout of her voice, her body still shaking with desire, "What if I don't want that?"
He groaned at her words, his gloves fingers curling into her shirt for a moment as he struggles for control,"Let me do this right, please?"
She sighed, leaning her forehead to rest against his chest, the chestplate he wore cooling her cheeks, "If you insist on it."
"I do Talise. You're worth it." He made no move to kiss her again, not trusting himself. But he also made no move to part from her either, standing with her in the fading twilight for a few more minutes, giving himself some time with her before they parted.
In the cool of morning, Talise sat outside, her gear spread around her. Knives, her short sword and dagger, the leather leggings she wore, the leather vest and black shirt, the brace of throwing knives she wrapped around one thigh, more stiletto knives than should be possible to hide on one person, and all various manner of lock picking gear. Beside her a bucket sat with hot, steaming water, several bars of soap, and oils for the leather and metal, along with a pile of rags.
"Good morning little love", Valissia grinned at the assassin, knowing full well that Talise had tossed and turned all night long. So had she, truth be told, but she could not resist pestering her dearest friend.
"I told you, I'm going to kill you. But I am going to do it with clean gear", Talise gritted her teeth at Valissia's voice, wiping down her short sword one one final time, leaving it gleaming in the morning light.
"I'm so sorry to have interrupted your interlude. But I am so glad it was happening. At last." Valissia grinned, sitting on a small stood next to Talise, "I thought it was going to take an act of the Maker to push you two together."
"No divine intervention needed. Just chocolate", Talise's scowl turned into a grin as she looked at her friend, her sharp gaze taking in a small, light bruise on the mage's throat, "It seems like you had fun last night as well."
"What do you mean?" Valissia frowned at Talise's smirk.
"Have you looked in a mirror lately?" Talise touched the love bite on Valissia's neck, smirking when the mage squeaked in surprise and then blushed.
"I… I mean… we…" stuttering with embarrassment, Valissia sat on a nearby stool, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Her bright gaze did not lift from her sword as she smirked, "Is it possible? Is the mage who never stops talking at a loss for words?"
"He was a perfect gentlemen", unable to meet her friend's gaze, Valissia buried her face in her hands, her blushing features visible through her fingers.
"Yeah, that love bite is evidence of that", Talise snorted in response, eyeing her sword critically before sliding it back into it's sheath.
A wicked grin lifted the corner of Valissia's mouth, "And what about Cullen?"
"We did nothing more." At the mage's skeptical look, Talise continued, "He wants to court me. Do things right he says."
"Oh. Oh. That is so utterly romantic." Valissia sighs, pressing a slim hand to her heart, lost in the idea of Cullen courting Talise.
"I don't need courting." The long night showed on Talise's face, dark circles under her sky touched gaze gave away her lack of sleep, and she could not keep the pout from her words.
"Yes. Yes you do." Tentatively, Valissia reached for a throwing knife, spinning it gingerly in her fingers.
Talise shakes her head no at Valissia's words, leaning back on her elbows and sighing, "No. I don't. I don't care where we are together, just that we are together. I want him so much it hurts."
"Talise, listen to me. You've lived like a ghost for years. I've never seen you serious with a man. I've never seen a man want you, and not whomever you were pretending to be for a job." Putting down the throwing knife, Valissia leans forward, cupping Talise's face in her hands.
"I've never actually-" her cheeks flushed crimson as Talise trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.
Valissia's auburn locked shifted as she nodded in agreement, "I know you've never seduced anyone for a job. Just flirted enough to get the job done."
"And what about you? You lived in fear of the Templars for years, traveled to avoid them, you've been locked in libraries and museums all of your life. You've never been courted either." Sighing, Talise leaned her forehead against the mage's, her thickly lashed gaze falling shut.
"You're right." Valissia sighed, leaning back against Talise, "We both need this Talise. Just enjoy it."
Cullen stood across the courtyard, near where the soldiers practiced, watching the scene unfold before him. He had come down to practice early this morning, after a night spent getting less sleep than usual. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her, felt her, tasted her kiss, and he gave up on sleep before the sun was up. Talise sat in the shadows, gear and her leather armor spread out around her; he frowned as he saw how little the armor would truly protect her, it was something he needed to speak to her about.
"Good morning Commander Rutherford", Talise's lips curved into a cheeky smirk as she looked up at him. Her eyes were rimmed by dark circles, and her skin was slightly paler than usual, proof she had endured little sleep. But her lips were swollen, and there was a tell-tale scrape of stubble burn on her jawline, proof of his attentions last night.
"I think we're past formality, don't you?" he lifted a golden brow at her, leaning against the wall behind her. His honey warm gaze took in the impressive array of weapons that surrounded Talise, all cleaned, and carefully tucked back into sheaths, "How many knives does one woman need?"
"An outrageous amount Commander", Valissia grinned from her spot on a stool, handing Talise back a dagger.
"Enough to get the job done. Some of us don't walk around with a huge…. Sword all day long", careful not to meet his gaze, Talise tucked the dagger into a sheath, a wicked gleam in her sky touched eyes.
"What? I mean…." He paused, rubbing the back of his neck with one gloved hand, taking a deep breath. When Talise's eyes flicked to his, he saw the playful challenge in them, and he met her challenge with a retort of his own, "And I would say it's big enough to get the job done. Too big and it's unwieldly to use properly."
Talise leaned back on her elbows, looking over her shoulder and up at Cullen, he was tall enough, and she was so short, that she got faintly dizzy when she looked up at him. Or perhaps it was her heart, that was suddenly pounding in her ears.
"And that is my cue. Excuse me, both of you" her cheeks hot in a blush, Valissia slipped from the stool she sat on, and headed towards the mage tower, ducking around a few practicing soldiers.
"Have a good day little love!" Talise's voice sang out over the courtyard, and she grinned when Valissia turned, blowing her a kiss.
"You have a deep friendship" distracted from their flirting, Cullen watched Talise press a kiss to her slender fingertips, and then flick it off with her other hand, towards the mage. He smiled at the assassin's display of affection, feeling his heart tug as she did it.
"I have never not known Talise, we grew up together", Talise started to pack up her gear, slipping everything into a well-worth black pack.
"Where did you go grow up?" while she packed, Cullen leaned back against the wall behind him, his amber gaze tracing over Talise as she moved.
"No one has ever asked me that before" She blinks, realization of how little she has ever revealed striking her.
Too late, he realized that she might not be comfortable with his questions, and he mentally cursed himself as he offered her a hand, "If you're not comfortable telling me."
She reached up for his hand, curling her fingers around it and sliding her feet beneath her, "No no, it's not that. It's just that I've never actually talked about my childhood."
He pulled her to her feet as soon as she took his hand, and then held onto it, unwilling to let go of her. Even through his gloves he would feel her hands, feel how delicate her fingers were, "I know your parents are gone, if it's too painful to talk about."
"Near Highever." she paused, watching as her fingers linked with Cullen's, "We lived there, and my father and his group traveled. When I got older I used to beg him to take me with him."
"Why would you want to travel with a mercenary?" He frowned at he thought, eyebrows drawing together over his warm honey gaze.
Talise grinned, lifting one shoulder in a shrug, "I was young, it seemed like it was so much fun to live free like he did."
"He was supposed to be a giant of a man, if the stories are to be believed."
"He was very tall. So was Jordan. My mother was short."
"And yet, you're…"
"Pocket sized?"
Cullen laughed then, shaking his head at Talise's quip, "That's quite a way of putting it."
"Jordan and my Dad used to tease me about it. I've always been small. Dad used to call me his little love. When he died, Jordan picked it up."
"And now all of Skyhold calls you that."
Talise blushed at his words, feeling even the top curve of her ears flood with warmth, "It's not exactly fearsome, is it?"
"You are not exactly fearsome", realizing what he could have said could be taken as an insult, Cullen stuttered for a moment, sighing and rubbing the back of his neck once more, "I… I didn't mean that like it sounded."
"It's part of what makes me good, no one suspects that this" Talise gestures down the front of herself with her free hand, "Is Ghost."
"I know nothing about being stealthy."
"No, you're the man with a hammer for whom everything is a nail" she grins impudently up at him, giggling when he heaves a sigh, "That is probably the most accurate description of you I have ever heard."
"Josephine does have a way with words" he admitted, smiling down at her. Despite the dark circles around his eyes, the almost ever present tiredness, he felt more relaxed and at ease than he had in awhile. Since the last time they played chess, he realized with a jolt.
"You look tired this morning. Is everything alright?"
"Yes.. I… uhh.." he blushed at her scrutiny, his gaze not quite meeting her own, "Didn't get a lot of sleep last night."
"Too restless?"
"I wouldn't call it restless…"
"Can I admit something?"
"Of course Talise, you can tell me anything",
"I didn't sleep at all last night. I kept wanting to go back up to your tower. I was restless, and uncomfortable, and I finally ended up reading one of Valissia's dry books on healing spells. They're so boring they always put me to sleep" her cheeks were burning when she finished speaking, and she kept her gaze focused firmly on their fingers.
"Talise" he ground her name out, his gaze pinching shut at her admission. He took several deep breaths, feeling his blood heat her words. Letting her slip through his fingers last night had been one of the most difficult things he had ever done, and left alone in his tower he had given in to his desires, stroking himself until he was calling her name when his release took him.
"Should I have kept that to myself?"
"No. I told you can you tell me anything. I got no sleep last night because I was thinking of you."
Her cheeks flushed hot at his words, and she lifted her chin to look up at him, her teeth sinking into her lip as she did so, "Every time I fell asleep, I was back in your arms again. It was torture Cullen."
At her whimper, his fingers tightened around hers, and he lifted their entwined hands, pulling her arm up his chest and around his neck, "I tasted your kisses all night long."
"You mean the chocolate?", she breathed the words out, leaning into his frame as he pulled her arm around his neck.
"No Talise, you. Although I will never be able to eat chocolate and not think about you", he chuckled at her words, his free hand cupping her cheek. For a second his lips hovered above hers, waiting for her to make the final move. He groaned when she did, rising to her toes and pressing her lips to his; he was lost when her lips parted beneath his, licking at his lower lip with the barest touch, and his fingers, holding her hand on his shoulder, tightened around hers.
Remembering where they were, she broke the kiss, heaving a sigh and leaning backwards, away from him, "We probably have an audience."
"They need something to gossip about." The pack Talise was holding was dropped as Cullen slid his hands around her waist, tugging him to her in one smooth motion, his lips pressing into hers.
Christopher and Cassandra, discussing a report, stopped on the edge of the courtyard, watching Cullen and Talise. Cassandra blushed, but grinned, and walked back up the stairs to the rampart, "I think I will just leave these on the Commander's desk."