Cullen awoke the next morning to Victoria tracing her fingers across his chest.

"Good morning, Commander," she said lazily. Clearly she hadn't woken up much earlier than he had. Her hair was disheveled, loose tendrils of her dark brown curls falling in front of her face. Her olive skin was without makeup, allowing the Commander to take in the entirety of her natural beauty. He allowed his eyes to start at hers, which were a piercing green in contrast with her lightly tanned skin. Freckles lined her high cheekbones and nose, an endearing feature that Cullen was rarely able to enjoy; the small marks that gave her face even more character and beauty were usually concealed, either by makeup, dirt, or the blood of her enemies. Next he trained his gaze on her lips. They were, for once, unpainted, bare and matching in tone with the rest of her skin. There were slight cracks, no doubt caused by the cold; and her one scar, which almost eerily matched his. Her lips were supple, forming a natural pout that made them more enticing. He had only gotten a small taste of her lips on his, but Maker was he hoping for more.

She rose slightly, clearly alarmed by his staring and lack of response. Her pout lifted ever so slightly as she asked, "And just what are you staring at?"

"Pardon me. I was just taking in the Herald of Andraste in all her glory." His honest response must have thrown her, because a blush rose to her cheeks and she let out a small giggle. "Are you well enough to travel?" he asked next. He didn't want her to rush into anything and risk further injury.

"Of course I am," she countered, acting playfully offended by the question. "My burns have healed, no doubt a result of the Anchor; it has its uses. I have a fractured rib and my legs are still very tired and potentially sprained. However, Solas will be leading the charge with us and has promised to use his magic to melt high snow for me, as well as occasionally tend to my rib. I'm ready, Cullen."

Just then Lady Cassandra interjected, "Good. Now if you two are done bullshitting, we have a lot of progress to make. We will want to spend as few evenings as possible out in the wilderness." She then turned to Trevelyan and said, "I am pleased to see you alive, Herald."

"I'm just pleased I got to see your smiling face again, Cassandra," Victoria countered, smiling from ear to ear.

There are few people that Lady Cassandra would take such a joke from, but the Seeker just smirked slightly and replied, "I'm sure you are," eliciting a hearty laugh from Trevelyan, who had to hold her ribs to prevent them from fracturing further.

"Oh, Maker, I should really learn to be less happy, my laughter may kill me," she joked. And although Cullen met her humor with a serious expression, it only caused the Herald to laugh more. Cullen loved that she could make a joke at even the most grim of situations.

Trevelyan rose, only a small limp remaining in her step, and gathered her things. When she finished, she pulled her hair back and stared at him, "Well, Commander? Does the injured Herald need to help you up?"

With that, Cullen rose, and minutes later they began their journey. Cullen helped lead the recruits, as promised, but he fell back, allowing him to bask in Victoria's astounding strength and ability to lead. Throughout the many days they travelled, whether it was when they joined their bedrolls at night, or when they were travelling through the snow, Cullen could hardly keep his eyes off her. Though she was clearly still injured, she did not waver during their journey. Occasionally Solas would have to subtly use a healing spell on her legs or ribs, but she never broke stride. She understood the urgency of arriving at shelter, but when a group of refugees needed to stop, she obliged, showing that she could be a fierce but caring leader.

"You've been watching her," he heard Cassandra say. He hadn't really thought to hide his admiration, but of course, the Seeker caught on.

"It's hard not to," Cullen admitted. "She is...amazing. She gives these people hope. Inspires them."

"I know," Cassandra agreed. "Which brings me to a question. I've already discussed it with Leliana and Josephine and they feel the same way I do. What do you think of making the Herald our Inquisitor?"

Cullen shifted his gaze back to the Herald. Her leg buckled briefly, and Solas responded by clearing a snow drift. She was always fighting, always pushing herself. Just then, she turned around to meet Cullen's gaze. She greeted him with a smile and a small wave, causing Cullen to return the gesture. Yes, he can't understand why no one thought of it before. Victoria Trevelyan, the Herald of Andraste and object of Cullen's affection, would make the perfect Inquisitor. He turned to Cassandra then and replied, "I could think of no better leader."

"Good," Cassandra concluded. "We will give her a proper ceremony when we reach shelter. I would like to keep it a surprise though."

Cullen nodded.

They continued into the night. Victoria wouldn't stop; she knew they were close to their destination and her determination was relentless. Her legs were killing her, and giving out more and more frequently. Solas did his best to aid her without alerting the rest of the Inquisition. "We're almost there Herald, I promise."

Victoria chuckled and inquired, "Solas, what is this place? You told me it would be a fortress, but nothing else."

"By attacking the Inquisition, Corypheus has changed it. Changed you. Scout to the North. Be their guide. There is a place that waits for a force to hold it. There is a place where the Inquisition can build...grow…"

Solas looked up then, and Victoria followed his gaze. Before her stood an enormous castle. Well fortified, and with enough room to hold all the Inquisition's refugees. "Skyhold," Solas explained. It was beautiful. So beautiful that Victoria could cry. Though, to be fair, any shelter at that point would have been sufficient. She ran, uncaring about the pain in her legs, until she reached the inside of the fortress. There, she finally collapsed into the snow covering the ground. She turned onto her back and began making a snow angel and laughing. The tears streamed down her face. They were alive. They were safe. She had helped save them and herself. She closed her eyes and soaked it all in. Eventually, while everyone was exploring their new home, she heard footsteps coming nearer. Someone bent down and picked her up, and immediately she recognized his scent, as well as the softness of his coat.

"Cullen," she whispered.

"I'm taking you up to your room, Herald. You deserve a rest."

"Thank you, Commander."

She ended up falling asleep before he even put her down on her bed.

When she awoke in the morning, she was far less sore than before. No doubt, Solas and Dorian were doing all they could to heal her in the night. She arose from her new, warm bed in Skyhold to find a package on her desk. On top of it there was a letter.

Herald,

When you awaken, get dressed in this and meet us in the front of Skyhold.

Cullen, Josephine, Leliana, and Cassandra

Victoria bathed and then unwrapped the package. In it, there was a beautiful dress. It was powder blue, short sleeves, with a somewhat low cut front and gold embroidery on the bodice. It went all the way down to the floor, and was accompanied by a golden belt with the Inquisition's heraldry on it. Victoria felt like a queen. She used the Inquisition symbol hair pins to braid one side of her hair, curled the other side, and stepped outside.

Cullen, his fellow advisors, and Cassandra were discussing the plan for Trevelyan's inauguration as Inquisitor when he saw her. Her hair was curled to one side, dark brown locks framing her face. Her chartreuse eyes were lined with black and gold eyeliner, a gold that matched the frame of her bodice. He followed the golden pattern down her body, where the seam laid low on her chest. That was enough to make Cullen's mouth go dry. Maker, she was stunning. She smiled at him, her posture as regal as that of any queen. Cassandra and Leliana stepped nearer to her, while Cullen and Josephine took their positions below.

"They arrive daily from every settlement in the region. Skyhold is becoming a pilgrimage. If word has reached these people, it will have reached the Elder One. We have the walls and numbers to put up a fight here, but this threat is far beyond the war we anticipated. But we now know what allowed you to stand against Corypheus, what drew him to you."

"He came for this," he heard Trevelyan say, looking down at her mark. "And now it's useless to him so he wants me dead. That's it."

"The Anchor has power. But it's not why you're still standing here," Cassandra explained. "Your decisions let us heal the sky. Your determination brought us out of Haven. You are the creature's rival because of what you did, and we know it. All of us. The Inquisition requires a leader, the one who has already been leading it. You."

Leliana was holding the sword now, displaying it for Trevelyan to see. She looked down at the people now gathering around the scene, shock written all over her face. She looked back to Cassandra, muttering, "It's unanimous? You all have that much confidence in me?"

"All of these people have their lives because of you. They will follow. I will not lie, handing this power to anyone is troubling. But I have to believe this is meant to be. There would be no Inquisition without you. How it will serve, how you lead, that must be yours to decide."

Victoria grabbed the sword in one hand and announced, "Corypheus will never let me live in peace. He made that clear. He intends to be a god, to rule over us all. Corypheus must be stopped."

Cassandra proclaimed, "Wherever you lead us. Have our people been told?"

"They have, and soon the world," Josephine responded.

"Commander, will they follow?"

Cullen turned around and shouted, "Inquisition, will you follow? Will you fight? Will we triumph?"

The crowd was raucous with approval when Cullen exclaimed, "Your leader, your Herald, your Inquisitor!"

Victoria thrust her sword into the air and made eye contact with Cullen, smiling at him. After the ceremony, they debriefed their new Inquisitor on the conflicts that need to be addressed. They then returned to their posts. Cullen had gathered scouts at the bottom of the stairs to discuss troop movements and guard duty. Shortly after he began, the Inquisitor came over, still dressed in her gown.

"Send men to scout the area. We need to know what's out there."

"Yes, ser!" one of the scouts replied.

"Commander, soldiers have been assigned temporary quarters."

"Very good. I'll need an update on the armory as well. Now."

It was then that the Inquisitor stepped up to greet him. "We set up as best we could at Haven, but we could never prepare for an Archdemon-or whatever it was. With some warning, we might have…"

Trevelyan continued where he left off, asking, "Do you ever sleep?"

"If Corypheus strikes again, we may not be able to withdraw...and I wouldn't want to. We must be ready. Work on Skyhold is underway, guard rotations established. We should have everything on course within the week. We will not run from here Inquisitor."

Victoria's expression fell as she asked, "How many were lost?"

"Most of our people made it to Skyhold. It could have been worse. Morale was low, but has improved greatly since you accepted the role of Inquisitor."

"Inquisitor Trevelyan. It sounds odd, don't you think?"

Cullen decided to look her in the eyes, then. "Not at all," he stated.

"Is that the official response?" she jested.

He chuckled, replying, "I suppose it is. But it's the truth. We needed a leader; you have proven yourself."

She paused, looking down before returning her gaze and muttering, "Thank you Cullen. Our escape from Haven...it was close. I am relieved that you-that so many made it out."

Cullen recalled the hurt he felt when he thought Trevelyan was dead. "As am I," he replied. When Trevelyan began to walk away, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her close to him, pushing a stray hair behind her ear as she stared up at him.

"You stayed behind. You could have-I will not allow the events at Haven to happen again. You have my word."

She ran her hands through his hair as he moved his down to her waist, pulling her close. She ran her fingers across his lips and pulled him to her by his chin. Just as their lips were about to make contact, a scout came back, causing Victoria to withdraw. "We'll continue this conversation later, Commander," she said with a smirk as she walked away, making sure he was looking at her as she did so.