It was the sounds that work her up; sooty lashes lifted once, twice, three times before her sky-touched eyes were open. The scent of oakmoss and elder flower, mixed with water lilies, hung in the air, and it brought a smile to her porcelain smooth face, it was their smell now, hers and Cullen, mixed together. Still smiling, she lifted a hand to her chocolate dark hair, tugging on the tangled mass of hair that covered her bare back and shoulders, pushing it away it away as she listened to Cullen. He was downstairs, she could hear the crisp sound of papers being sorted, the creak of the doors as a soldier walked in, the thud of boots against the ancient stone floors. When she rolled from the bed, landing soundlessly, a wince married her forehead, the floor was chilly against her bare feet.

A scout leaned in through one of the doors, propped open to let a breeze in, and he glanced up at the balcony where Talise was, uncertainty in his eyes, "Begging your pardon Commander."

"Yes? Do you have the reports from Leliana then?" A tawny eyebrow lifted over Cullen's warm honeyed gaze as he looked up at the scout.

"Not yet ser. But…" once more the scout's glance darted upstairs. He was curious, it was common knowledge that Talise and Cullen were together, and she had yet to be seen this morning. Wondering whether the assassin was upstairs in the commander's bed, the sentence hung in the air.

"But what?" Cullen knew exactly what the scout was doing, Talise had the same natural curiosity. That did little to ease his irritation, he had been considering going upstairs to wake her up himself; finding her curled up, soft and warm from sleep in his bed, was one of few great pleasures he afforded himself.

"There's a Magdalena de Villanueva here. To see Talise." The scout stumbled over the exotic name, Talise could hear his hesitation as he spoke.

Talise bit back a shriek at the name, grabbing at the first clothes she could find, and yanking them on. Her knee-high leather boots sailed from the top of the ladder, missing the scout and Cullen, and she followed, half-sliding, half-falling down the ladder, landing on socked feet. Her hair was still in disarray, her shirt untucked, the hem dangled well past her hips and close towards her knees, as well as a pair of leather leggings. Hopping on one foot, she shoved the boots on, and then sprinted for the door.

Cullen watched Talise fling herself from his bedroom, such as it was, with a bemused look on his face. His amber gaze took in Talise's lack of care about her clothing, even less effort than she normally put forth, and briefly he wondered what she was going to do when she bann. No noble would be caught dead traipsing around in worn leather boots, or a tunic that wouldn't even stay up over both of her shoulders at the same time.

"De Villanueva you said?" the former templar blinked, looking back at the scout, who nodded in response, "Maker's breath… that's her aunt."

Heedless of the looks, or the gossip, Talise burst from Cullen's quarters, running down the steps, and across the perpetually muddy courtyard. Her cheeks were flushed when she ran through the open doors, she had taken the steps to the doors of the main keep two at a time, and her muddy boots nearly slipped out from underneath her as she came to a stop on the stone floor.

Standing in the main hall, talking animatedly to Josephine, stood a small woman. Her hair was as dark as a raven's wing, silver strands woven throughout; the delicate features of her face were startlingly like Talise, she even had the same small hands. Cullen stepped up to Talise as she stood in the main keep, and she looked up at him, her summer bright gaze shimmering with tears. His heart clenched as she blinked, and the tears slid down her cheeks in tiny silvery waterfalls; one of his gloved hands reached for her, curling around her fingers and squeezing hers gently.

Magdalena turned, caught sight of Talise, and with a murmured apology to Josephine, she stepped past her belongings, including an intricately carved ebony staff, decorated with jingling charms and small gemstones. A sob escaped Talise, and she leaned into Cullen, half-burying her face in his deep red surcoat, watching Magdalena walk towards her with a look of disbelief in her gaze.

Cullen felt the tremor that ran through Talise's form, and one arm slid around her waist, holding her to him as Magdalena approached them. When she came to a stop, holding her arms out to Talise, the assassin clung tightly to Cullen, and she peered up at him through tear-clouded eyes, seeking his reassurance, and Cullen felt the moment all the way to his bones. His hands shook just slightly as he lifted his arm, pushing her gently to Magdalena. Talise crumpled as soon as her aunt pulled her in for a hug, her knees wobbling as her tears overtook her.

"Mi reina. I'm right here. I've got you", one hand slid soothingly through Talise's hair and down her back, the other cupped a smooth cheek, "I came as soon as I heard. I'm so sorry Talise."

"I'm all alone." Talise hiccupped the words out. The grief she had fought back, buried in the bloody work of an assassin, came rushing back to her. Standing in the main keep of Skyhold, she was not Ghost, not a Rivaini-trained assassin, not a would-be noble; she was as broken-hearted as she had been the night Cullen found her in the chapel.

"Child of my heart, you are not alone. I know you brought Valissia and Amelia with you, and they are family", Magdalena continued to rub soothing circles on Talise's back, her dark gaze, almost black, caught Cullen's. As soon as the seer's dark gaze connected with Cullen's, her eyes widened, a flash of some deep-seated knowledge flickering with in her eyes, before she drew back to look at Talise, cupping the assassin's tear streaked face in one wrinkled hand, "And this templar you wrote of. I know you Talise, there is more than what you tell me."

Cullen flushed at Magdalena's words, even as he wondered over the peculiar look she had given him; she seemed to know him, seemed to somehow see through him, past his armor, the sharp-eyed look she had cast on him left him feeling like he had no secrets left. Josephine smoothly offered them tea in her office, the Antivan ambassador looked knowingly at Cullen as he followed Talise and her aunt.

It took several minutes for Talise to stop crying, her face buried in her aunt's small shoulder. Cullen and Josephine did most of the talking, explaining the events at the Conclave and Haven, and what had happened since. Magdalena listened intently, rubbing Talise's back through her tangled mass of hair.

Once Talise had calmed down, her tears wiped away with wrinkled hands adorned in swirling patterns of deep green, a door creaked open. Two sets of eyes, a pair bright as a new spring grass, and one pair reminiscent of dark storm clouds, peeked in. Magdalena opened her arms, and both Valissia and Amelia tumbled into Josephine's office, their reaction the same as Talise's. For long moments, the Rivaini seer had her arms full of the women she had come to regard as her own, and she hummed a lullaby to them, heedless of Cullen and Josephine, until both mages were calm once more.

"After the Circle at Dairsmuid was Annulled, Magdalena was feared dead her for some time", Josephine whispered to Cullen, offering him a cup of tea.

"She's a…" Cullen blinked, holding the delicate cup in his large hand, golden eyes tracing over Talise as she sat on the arm of the couch, Valissia holding on to one of her slim legs.

"Yes, she's a mage", Josephine passed another silk handkerchief to Amelia, who blotted at her damp face with it, whispering a thank you.

As Cullen and Josephine talked, Talise slid out from Valissia's grasp, and off the arm of the couch with an easy grace, walking across the carpeted room to Cullen. Josephine and Valissia shared a grin as Talise moved, their smiles broadening as Cullen lifted an arm and curled it around Talise. Despite his own concerns, and against his better judgment, the commander could not keep himself from reaching for Talise, the sight of her tear-streaked face was more than he could withstand. He could not bring himself to care about the whispering nobles and diplomats in the main keep, the gossip in the barracks, or anyone who would say anything in the moment.

Magdalena managed to give both Amelia and Valissia equal amounts of attention, soothing them and calming their tears. The mages filled in the last few blanks, as Magdalena listened intently, nodding at their ideas and theories, "This Corypheus, his reach is long. Even with all the upheaval in Rivain, we've heard of him. He is a threat we all need to be focused on."

"We've all been working very hard, to do just that", Josephine answered, passing a cup of tea to Amelia, who wiped the last of her tears from her cheeks.

"I had already left Dairsmuid when I received word of Jordan's death. Truth be told, I knew he was gone, I had seen him in a dream." Magdalena took a damp handkerchief from Amelia, and blotted at Valissia's reddened cheeks, "Mija stop. Everyone is fine, we're all safe here."

Talise sniffled, tears pooling in her bright gaze at the mention of her brother, "We heard about the annulment."

"I sent you a letter letting you know I was safe and coming to you, but it must not have made it through." The seer sighed, shaking her head, "I'm sorry to have worried you all for as long as I did. Talise's contact in Rivain was in the Circle when it was annulled, and I was unsure if you had others. And I was unwilling to risk revealing your identity by looking for anyone else who could get word to you."

Talise nodded, pressing her face against the breastplate Cullen wore, the cold metal soothing her tear-swollen face. Cullen's gloved hand cupped the back of her head, holding her gently, and she sighed as she breathed in the familiar smell of elder flower, oakmoss, and leather. The movement was not missed by Magdalena, who arched a dark eyebrow at the pair; and then back to Amelia and Valissia, pressing gentle kisses to their foreheads before she stood up from the couch.

"I need some time with Talise… I know what I say will not leave this room, but I also know that my niece keeps her secrets well-hidden." Magdalena held an arm out to Talise, and slowly, with no small amount of reluctance, Talise slid from Cullen, her fingers lingering in his, before she was pulled from Josephine's office.

"Now, mi reina. Tell me about Cullen." Magdalena stood atop the tower in one corner of Skyhold, what had become one of Talise's favorite spots. With a knowing look in her eyes, the Rivaini watching her niece as she spoke.

Talise turned a distinct shade of pink at her aunt's questioning, and kept her bright gaze firmly on the snow-capped mountains that surrounded the ancient keep, "What do you want to know?"

"He is your lion?" A gentle hand stroked through Talise's dark hair, combing out the tangles from the chocolate dark mass, "Mija, did you not comb your hair?"

"No, I was just waking up when you got here", Talise, sitting cross legged in front of Magdalena, held still as her aunt went to work on her hair, "You remember the lion?"

"Talise, let me tell you something. I have been dreaming of you since before you were born, and you are always with a lion. He has changed over the years, he has a scar on his face now, and sometimes he walks with a limp. But he is still a powerful creature, and he still protects you in your dreams." As she spoke, Magdalena dug in the pockets of her skirts, a triumphant smile curling her lips as she withdrew a small comb from one.

"I don't dream of him every night." As her aunt combed her hair out, the dark strands gleaming as they were unknotted, Talise chewed nervously at one fingernail.

"No, I know you don't. But he is always with you." Magdalena leaned down to smack Talise's hand away from her mouth, before going back to her job, working the comb through her niece's hair, "Does he please you?"

"Maggie!" Talise blushed again, this time the flush heated even the tops of her ears.

A chuckle escaped the Rivaini seer as she continued her work, "I'm serious Talise. A man needs to worship the woman he cares about. If he is not willing to please her, then he is not worth having."

"Yes, he does." Still blushing, Talise nodded, her gaze darting back to the tower over the portcullis, where Cullen's quarters were.

"That tells me that beneath that cool exterior lies a warm heart. You are a passionate soul, you would attract a passionate man." Magdalena followed Talise's gaze, and them smiled down at her niece, tilting the assassin's head back gently, "Are you his equal? Or his play thing? These Fereldens have such strange ideas about a woman's place in the world. Does he treat you like they do?"

Talise shook her head no, looking up at her aunt with crystalline blue eyes, "No. He respects my opinions. He worries when I leave, but he doesn't ask me to stay."

Magdalen nods, tracing a finger over one of Talise's dark eyebrows, "I worry about you and your… work. All the time. He knows then, that you are the Ghost?"

"Si Maggie. He knows." With a nod Talise leans back against her aunt's legs, closing her eyes as she heaves a sigh.

"Are you taking the draughts then?", Magdalena rubbed the top of Talise's head as she spoke, gazing out at the mountains around them.

"Twice a week, just like you taught me", Talise blushed again, thankful she did not have to meet her aunt's knowing gaze. Magdalena was able to read Talise, and the assassin knew she could not keep even the most hidden of her wants from her aunt.

Her aunt let out a deep sigh, a tinge of regret coloring her words, "Pity. You would make beautiful babies with that man. No wait… you will make beautiful babies with him."

"You've seen that?"

"I've seen you walk with a lion in my dreams, your belly swollen with a child. So yes, I've seen it. What's more, you want it." Magdalena continued to run her tattooed hands through Talise's waterfall of dark hair. The want, the almost palpable need, was unmistakable in Talise's voice, and the Rivaini tilted her niece's head back to look into her gaze once more, "Listen mi reina, the path to your happiness is a bloody one. You will have to fight through a war, towards what you want. It will take all your skills and strengths, as well as all his, to get you there. But if you are willing to fight for it, all your heart wants will be there, when this is through."

For a long moment Talise said nothing, but hope started to gleam in her summer bright gaze. Long sooty lashes lowered as she blinked, before she looked up to her aunt once more, "Are you staying?"

"I am not sure. The templars will be nervous to have a Rivaini seer here. Some of the mages will be as well. I thought I might stay in Nightreach, I can help Patrick there, and be closer than Rivain if you need me", Magdalena ran an affectionate hand through Talise's hair once more, "Before I forget, I brought you something from Nightreach."

"You did?" Talise pushed herself to her feet, tugging her hair back from her finely boned face as she did, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"A very angry something. With sharp claws."

Talise frowned for a moment, and then her eyes went wide with shock, "Demon?"

"Si. I brought that cursed bird with me from Nightreach. I am convinced the only thing that animal cares for in this world is you." Magdalena nodded, sighing at the effort it had taken to get the animal to Skyhold.

"And food." The assassin grinned, one hand rising to shove a handful of dark hair out of her eyes.

"She has not been hunting as much as he should. The gamekeeper has been feeding him chicken and lamb, but that will make her fat if she isn't hunting."

"How was she on the trip?"

"Quiet. Which is unusual for her. This is the longest you and she have been parted since he was a hatchling."

"I need to go see her. Is she in the barn already?"

Magdalena pointed an arm up, towards the cloud-studded skies, and Talise lifted her head, her eyes searching the sky. She lifted one hand to her lips, and let out a shrill, piercing whistle. Several moments later, a dot appeared, growing larger, taking the shape of an eagle, plummeting from the sky. At the last seeming possible second, it spread wings wider than Talise was tall, opened large feet with lethal talons topping each toe, and it landed just in front of the assassin. Demon cocked her head to one side, and then the other, taking Talise in with a set of piercing golden eyes.

Talise dropped to her knees, sitting in front of the black and gray eagle, her bright gaze full of sorrow as she looked at the bird, "I'm sorry Demon. I didn't mean to be gone so long."

Demon did not respond, her talons clicking on the stones as she shifted from one foot to the other. Wide wings opened, and she flapped them several times, creating small gusts of wind that blew Talise's hair back away from her gaze.

"I left you in good hands though. The gamekeeper and Patrick, you had all the forests to hunt in, and farmland to keep clear of pests."

Clear, bright, golden eyes peered at her, shining with a remarkable intelligence, and then Demon snapped at Talise, her large beak coming close to Talise's fingers.

Talise jerked her fingers back, narrowly missing being bitten as Demon snapped a few more times at her, her beak snapping closed with ominous sounds, "I'm sorry. If I promise to let you hunt ravens the next time I go out, am I forgiven?"

At the mention of ravens, the bird's demeanor changed, and she hopped the last few steps to Talise, rubbing her head against Talise's fingers. As Talise ran her fingers gently over Demon's head, and then her wings, flexing them out gently and inspecting the long flight feathers, Magdalena watched, shaking her head ruefully at the sight, "I don't know how you do it mi reina. I've never seen someone tame one of them, yet Demon eats out of your hand. Literally."

"And I have the scar to prove it", Talise grinned, moving to sit cross-legged on the stone rampart, letting Demon hop into her lap. The assassin winced as the eagle dug long talons into her leg, but she bore the abuse, unwilling to move her beloved companion.

"Your templar is pacing in his office, I can see him from here. I need to speak with him. And you, mi reina, need to take Demon out and let her hunt", Magdalena lifted her small chin, a duplicate of Talise's, towards the tower where Cullen's quarters were. The doors were all open, and the former templar could be seen pacing in his office.

Talise nodded in agreement, dusting her leggings off as she stood, "I'll have to ask the blacksmith and see if he has some gloves I can borrow, unless you packed some?"

"Si, I brought several. Demon pulled the stitching out of one of them on the way here," Magdalena pushed herself to her feet, groaning as her joints popped, and made her way towards Cullen's office. The seer pauses, turning back to her niece, who sits cross-legged on the stone rampart, holding an eagle in her lap, "Also, we should speak of Denerim, and that title Jordan bequeathed you. And…. Alistair. Soon Mija."

Magdalena de Villanueva stood in front of Cullen, arms folded over her chest, appraising Cullen through dark eyes that shone with a knowledge and wisdom gained through her long years. For his part, Cullen felt his stubbled covered cheeks heat in a blush as he looked back at Talise's aunt, but he kept his back straight as he met her gaze. He had the distinct feeling he was being judged, weighed and measured as the seer looked at him.

Her resemblance to Talise was startling, but while the assassin was as pale as a porcelain doll, Magdalena was tan, her swarthy complexion revealing her ancestry, as did the tattoos across her face, and down the backs of her hands, swirling patterns that Cullen could make no sense of, even as he was curious about them. The striking looks revealed what Talise would look like as she aged, but while the assassin was watchful, Magdalena radiated a calm, deep wisdom.

"So… you are in love with my niece." Without any preamble, the Rivaini seer cut right to the point of her visit, watching Cullen intently as she spoke.

The blush on his face heated further, and Cullen nodded.

"She tells me you treat her well. Every man should be willing to go down on his knees to please a woman."

"I… uhhh.. I mean…"

"By the spirits, you Fereldens. I know you are taking my niece to bed, she is a beautiful, passionate woman. If you did not want to, then I would think something is wrong with you. But a relationship cannot be built on sex alone, Commander. Tell me, why do you love Talise?" It did not escape Magdalena as she spoke, that one of Talise's combs was sitting atop the commander's desk. Her dark eyed gaze took in the tortoise-shell comb, but she kept from remarking on it.

It took several moments for the flush to fade from his cheeks, and he gathered his thoughts, "Her heart. We have a Qunari here, and when he was made Tal Vashoth, she stayed with him, talked about things with him. We have this… creature, his name is Cole. He's not a spirit, not a demon, at least I'm told so, and not human. Most everyone is terrified of him."

"Yes, I sensed his presence when I got here." Magdalena nodded as Cullen spoke, moving to sit in a nearby chair.

"Talise has taken to training him, but Cole likes animals. She will sit with him in the barn, while he holds the cats there. She found an injured nug once, and brought it here to Cole, who nursed it back to health." Once the commander started talking about Talise, once he got over his reluctance, the words came easily to him, and a fond smile curved his lips as he spoke.

"When she was a little girl, she would do the same. She was always nursing some baby animal back to health." Magdalena smiled at Cullen, folding her tattooed hands on her lap, still watching him intently.

"The way she fights is a miracle. Fast, and fluid, with no qualms about cheating to win." One large gloved hand motioned to the dummy against a wall, studded with expertly placed knives.

Magdalena snorts at this, nodding her head, "You are the first to call it a miracle. But she is exceedingly talented."

"She can beat me at chess."

"And?"

"What do you want me to say?" Cullen frowned, feeling almost as if he is failing a test. The importance of the seer on Talise was plain for anyone to see, and he desperately wanted things to go well.

"The truth Cullen. I need to know why you love Talise. She is all the family I have left. I have lived to see my siblings die, and Catherine was the only one of us to have children. My parents are long gone, my baby sister and her husband are gone, and so is my only nephew." Although she sat calmly in her chair, almost as still as water on a pond, Magdalena watched Cullen intently, knowledge gleaming in her gaze. Something was there, a glimpse of some hidden secret, and it showed as she studied the former templar.

Cullen nodded, one large hand rubbing at the back of his neck in a familiar notion, "Talise has told me she had just you, and no one else in her family left."

"What do you want most Commander? When all this is said and done, when this Corypheus is defeated, what will you want? Will you go back to the templars?" Still she watched him carefully with each question, her dark gaze tracing over his features.

"No. No, my time with them is done. I haven't given much thought to the future, to be honest." He shook his head no at her words.

"Your survival, the survival of this Inquisition, and Talise's survival has taken precedence. I understand." Magdalena nodded at Cullen's words, her gaze understanding.

"I don't care where she goes. I would follow her to Nightreach, to Rivain, to some far corner of the globe. I just want her." He flushed at his words, as he realized he had revealed more of his feelings than he intended to under the Rivaini's questioning.

"All of her? Even Ghost?" Magdalena found herself holding her breath after she asked her question. So much hung in the balance for Talise, in this moment. Wrinkled fingers curled into her palms as she studied the commander, keeping her gaze calm.

Cullen nodded in response, leaning one hip against his desk. His warm honey gaze earnest and honest as he looked at Magdalena, sitting in his chair, "Even Ghost."

Magdalena visibly relaxed at Cullen's answer, her shoulders leaning further against the back of the chair, "She has become all of herself. For too long she has kept her life separate, and now, I see a whole, complete person in her. I believe I have you to thank Cullen."

"I didn't do anything."

"You defended her when she stood for Judgment, did you not?"

"Yes…"

"She tells me you worry about her when she works."

"Of course, I do. She deliberately puts herself in harm's way, tracking down filth and evil people." He kept a carafe of water on his desk, and one gloved hand reached for it, pouring a glass and sliding it across the gleaming wood to Magdalena. When she took it, he poured himself a second glass.

"Put a baby in her belly and that will stop." Magdalena held the glass in her hand, smirking up at Cullen as she spoke.

Cullen choked on the water he was drinking, bending over his desk as he coughed, and Magdalena laughed at him, mischief dancing in her eyes.

"I… we're not… ready. We're not ready." The flush that darkened his cheeks slid up to his hairline, and even made the tops of his ears hot. Unable to meet the seers gaze, he kept his amber eyes firmly fixed on the desk, wincing as he remembered the night he took Talise on top of it.

"Cullen, listen to me. If the life is meant to be, no draught will keep it at bay. Catherine was taking the draughts, before Talise. She was shocked when she realized she was pregnant again. Talise has been unexpected since she was given life." Putting aside her mirth at Cullen's response to the idea of a baby, Magdalena leaned forward, pinning the commander with an intense look from her dark eyes.

He nodded, the blush returning to his cheeks.

At Cullen's blush, Magdalena rolled her eyes, heaving a sigh as she leaned back in her chair, "Ay, stop blushing Ferelden. You love her, she loves you, it is natural you should want each other."

"You're her family." His gaze finally lifts to Magdalena's, and he winces when he sees her exasperated look.

"And? I'm Rivaini. I don't believe she is tarnished by having sex before marriage. I don't believe in waiting until marriage. Life is too short to not experience all of it, as often as you can." Taking a sip from her glass, she sets it on his desk, gesturing with her hands to the air around her, "Listen well Cullen, the spirits have spoken of you. And her. You both can have all you want, from and with each other. But you will have to be willing to fight for it. Talise will do everything she can think of to keep you safe. Will you do the same?"

"I would do whatever it takes to keep her safe through this war."

"And after? If you marry her, you will likely be Lord Rutherford."

The color slid from Cullen's cheekbones as he thought on it, and he blinked several times, "I'm not noble. I'm common born."

"So is she. She will be Bann because of Jordan, not because she has… what do you Ferelden's say, blue blood. Alistair will accede to her wishes, they were the same as Jordan, she is not asking for any different."

"Tell me, why have your kept her a secret? You sneak out onto the battlements to steal kisses like teenagers. She slinks from your room in the morning before anyone can see her", Magdalena fixed a dark look on Cullen as they stand in his office, "Yet everyone knows. The Orlesian nobles were twittering about you and her this morning when I arrived."

"She's an agent of the Inquisition. I'm the Commander. I don't want anyone thinking that she has special status because of me." The response seemed false even to Cullen, and he fought off another wince at the words. At the time they had agreed to keep their relationship a secret it had seemed the right thing to say, but under Magdalena's withering stare, he found himself doubting the wisdom of it.

"She has special status because she is the Ghost of Ferelden. Everyone knows that. And if they think otherwise, they are too stupid to have their opinion held in any sort of regard." One hand, with its trace work of tattoos across her sepia toned fingers, dismissed Cullen's argument.

"I'm not used to having my personal business broadcast over an entire keep's worth of people. You wouldn't believe how quickly gossip spreads through the barracks." He sighed, rubbing at the back of his neck. The status of his relationship with Talise had bothered him, the feeling he was lying, about her, had been a source of struggle for him since the first time he had kissed her. The idea of everyone knowing about them, brought a dark flush to his cheeks.

"Trust me Commander, a man with your looks has been talked about for years. You've just never paid attention to it." Magdalena grinned at him,

The color on his cheeks darkened further at Magdalena's response, and he stammered for a moment, "Yes… yes… well… It was one thing to not know they were talking, and another thing entirely to know it now."

"Is Talise worth it?"

"Of course, she is."

"Then you need to make things more permanent. If you do not stake your claim on her, someone will." With a natural grace to her movements that reminded Cullen of Talise, Magdalena slid from her chair, stepping around the desk to stand in front of him as she spoke.

"You… make a good argument. Just so you know, my reluctance to be more open about my relationship with Talise has never been a slight towards her", he sighed, rubbing at the back of his neck once more, meeting Magdalena's gaze with his honeyed one, "I will never be good enough for her, and I know that. But I would willingly spend the rest of my life trying to be."

Magdalena nodded at his words, a smile lifting the corners of her mouth, "Commander, I have decided something."

"What is that?"

The seer rose to her tiptoes, pressing a kiss to his stubbled cheek, "You are more than worthy of my niece. You will prove my dreams true. You will get her through this war, and she will do the same for you. You were fated."

"Thank you for the compliment."

"Welcome to the family. Now go find my niece, she took her blasted pet of hers out to hunt."

"Pet?" Cullen frowned slightly, his tawny brows drawing briefly together.

A smirk curved the old Rivaini seer's lips, causing the lines on either side of her mouth to deepen, "You haven't met her yet then? Oh Ferelden, be prepared, that bird of Talise's is a demon in disguise. And let me make it clear, welcome to the family. Lord Rutherford."