Sorry for the long wait for this update! I've been pretty busy as of late and hadn't had much time to write! ^^; I hope this chapter will make up for the wait.

Chapter 3

A year came and went, and all things seemed normal for the circle tower. Cullen and Solona had bumped into each other more than a handful of times during his patrols, and neither would ever admit if that had been more than a mere coincidence. Cullen constantly heard how evil and power hungry mages were supposed to be, but he had yet to see any evidence supporting that logic first hand. He had begun to think it was just an old wives tale cooked up to keep mage sympathizing Templars to a bare minimum, that was until he was assigned to guard duty at his first ever harrowing.

The harrowing chamber was cold and silent as Cullen stood there in line with three fellow Templars. The second Templar to his right was the one who was to drop the executioners axe were the harrowing to go wrong.
After a few minutes of watching the elder mages preparing a blue glowing concoction in the middle of the room, a young male stepped in, still sleepy-eyed from being woken in the middle of the night to be given his test. Cullen recalled seeing this particular mage once or twice in the tower, but nothing had ever stood out to him, certainly nothing that warranted the need to be cautious of this man.

A long stretch of time passed, or at least it seemed that way as no one in the chamber moved a muscle once the young mage had entered the fade. Greagor's mouth was drawn into a thin straight line which made Cullen uneasy. Cullen's eyes began to flit around the room, gathering everyone's expressions, and the general consensus wasn't a good one.
"It's been too long." Greagor stated, voice cold.
"No." Irving cut in, "Give him a little longer, please."
"If we wait any longer-" Greagor went to counter, but was cut off by a blast of mana sending himself as well as everyone else in the room, mage and Templar alike, flying into the hard stone walls.
What appeared before Cullen's eyes next would be the breaking point of his view of mages forever.

The young mages body was steadily lifted not even a foot off the ground, back arched in a twisted manner, mouth agape. The sound that poured from the mages mouth caused Cullen's blood to curdle. It was a mix of a scream of horror coupled with a sickening gurgle, as someone would sound if they were drowning. Cullen watched on with horror as the mages body began to contort and the scream turned into a low throaty growl. In a matter of seconds, an abomination stood in the center of the room; none of his training could have possibly prepared Cullen for this moment, he was frozen with shock.
"Templars to your feet!" he heard Greagor shout from across the room.
The other three Templars hurriedly got to their feet as Cullen still lay on the stone floor.
"That's an order, Cullen!"
Cullen nodded vacuously as he fought his nerves to stand. He gripped the hilt of his broadsword just as the abomination turned on the executioner. The senior Templar took charge at the demon, but the demon had no plans of being cut down tonight. Cullen's eyes grew wide as the abominations hand broke through the Templars armor as if it was no thicker than a piece of parchment; blood splayed all around them. The demon removed his hand and the Templar crumpled to the ground at the creature's feet.
Cullen felt a wave of nausea build in his stomach, and he swallowed back the bile gathering in his throat. The other two Templars that were assigned as guards rushed the demon together; but neither made it within range of their swords before they were flung away, hitting several mages as they slid across the room.
"Cullen, to me!" the Knight-Commander ordered.
Greagor rushed the demon and managed to catch it off-guard. A loud clang rang out through the chamber as Greagor's blade collided with the creature's hardened hand. Cullen watched intently waiting for an opening. There.
Cullen ran head-on at the abomination, the tip of his sword dragging across the stone as he crossed the floor of the chamber. A threatening scream erupted from Cullens lips as he brought his blade up, slicing the demon in one fell swoop.
A shrill cry filled the chamber as blood burst from the wound leaving the abomination to fall to the floor. Cullen's breath was ragged as he continued to cling to his blade, as if the world would disappear from beneath him if he were to let go.
He felt a strong hand clap him on the shoulder.
"Good job, son."
Cullen nodded.

Luckily, they suffered no casualties, save the abomination-turned mage. The injured mages and Templars were taken below to be healed, but no manner of healing would save Cullen from those memories. His outlook on mages began to take a different shape that night. He was far from hating them, but he definitely wasn't about to give his trust to any either.

Cullen was given a few days to recuperate, but was set back out on patrol within the same week. He no longer gives a kind smile to the mages that pass; instead his face is steeled from all expression. There is one mage however that would not be turned away by the sudden change in the young Templar.

Solona had been spending a lot of time in the circle's library in the past few months. Much to her delight, Cullen seemed to be stationed to patrol the library often. When questioned by Jowan, she was quick to deny that that was the real reasons she was spending so much time "studying".
Per usual, she had her long black tresses done up in a high ponytail, the ends brushing against her back and shoulders. She had also taken to wearing a tighter robe than usual, showing off her developing curves nicely. Though much to her dismay, she seemed to be drawing attention from everyone but the one person she wanted.

She straightened her robes, gathered up her books and parchments and headed to the library once again. She all but held her breath as she took the steps up the stairs and to the usually cluttered library. Solona sent a silent prayer to the Maker that he would be there today, since he had been absent the rest of the week.
Her footfalls came to a halt when she turned into the doorway. There he was; standing aside the far left wall of the library. Her brow knit together when she noticed the solemn look on his face. Solona made a beeline to a table near Cullen and set her books down discreetly. She pretended not to notice his presence as her fingers brushed over the shelved books across from Cullen. She would pause every now and then to press a delicate finger to her full lips, stealing a glance in his direction, but he seemed to take no note of her. Solona huffed under her breath as she grabbed an armful of books from the shelves before her.
She was determined to sashay her way back over to her table, but on her way she "tripped" directly in front of Cullen, sending her books flying out in front of her. She must have put a bit too much effort into the scene, because before she could stop herself, her feet had lost contact with the ground.
"Oh sod it." She breathed, expecting to make contact with the floor below, but was pleasantly surprised when a pair of strong hands grasped her, halfway cradling her back.
Her eyes flew to the face above her, landing on a blushing Cullen.
"A-are you alright?" he stammered.
She nodded, trying to hide the smile that tugged at the edges of her lips. Cullen carefully placed her back on her feet before taking his stoic stance once again.
"Thank you, Cullen." She said ever so sweetly towards the still blushing Templar.
He nodded curtly, eyes focused out in front of him, avoiding her gaze.
Solona smirked despite herself and bent down to gather the books she had so carelessly strewed before her.

Cullen tried his best to not pay attention to the petite mage at his feet, but the gentleman in him refused to just ignore her. He closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh before bending to help her gather up her texts. Solona's eyes trailed up his gloved hands to his handsome face, the blaze in his cheeks never faltering. A soft chuckle resonated in her throat, causing Cullen to finally face her.
"Wh-what?" he asked her.
Solona shook her head furiously. "Nothing." She responded, stifling another laugh.
His face contorted with confusion. "Tell me." He half asked, half demanded.
Solona raised her grey eyes, meeting his hazel ones. Cullen's breath caught in his throat causing him to swallow hard. He held her gaze for a moment before realizing she had rested her fingertips lightly on top of his hand. Just when he thought his cheeks couldn't burn any brighter, he felt more heat rush to his face, now covering his ears as well.
Solona's expression softened, letting her lips part ever so slightly. Her eyes fell from his and onto his sculpted mouth; she began to lean in closer to him, attempting to bridge the space between them.
Cullen shot up to his feet, nearly knocking the poor girl over in the process.
"I uh-I think I hear….hear a…a…." He stuttered out, pointing in all directions. "I should uh….go-"
He hurriedly walked across the library and disappeared behind a wall of bookcases, leaving Solona there on the floor looking dumbfounded. She blinked her eyes repeatedly, shocked, and almost hurt at his reaction.
Disappointed, she gathered up the remaining books and took a seat at the table where her belongings waited.

Hours came and went, and Solona continued to burry herself in her studies. Her embarrassment still nagged at the back of her mind, causing her to lose herself even more in the texts before her. She had been so ensnared in the books that she never noticed Cullen take his place back at the wall beside her table. He shifted his gaze upon her more often than he'd care to admit.

Soon mages and Templars alike began to filter out of the library, and the glow of the lamps seemed to lessen as most were turning in for the night. Due to the fact that no mages were aloud out of their rooms at night without at least one Templar present, Cullen volunteered to stay in the library until every mage had gone.
A couple more hours passed and the last of the mages had finally left, all except one. Solona had been so engrossed in the books before her; she hadn't felt herself dozing off until her head already lay on a book before her, forming a small trickle of drool.
Cullen took a final lap around the library before concluding that Solona was indeed, the only one left. He walked over to her sleeping figure and looked down at her soft, sleeping features. She's so beautiful when she sleeps. The thought crept into his head before he was able to stop himself. He shook it away before turning his attention back to the snoozing woman before him. He stood there a moment before deciding what to do. Cullen knew he couldn't just leave her there like this and also that it wouldn't be appropriate for just the two off them to be there alone all night either. Soon he was gathering up the books her delicate face wasn't resting on, and placed them back on the shelves that they belonged to.

When almost all of the texts were back in their places, Cullen turned his attention back to Solona. He stepped close to her and sighed to himself, cursing himself for what he was about to do. He carefully slid the chair she was seated in away from the table, but not too far as to make sure her head didn't fall from the table. He gently scooped his left arm around her back, resting the hand onto her side, and then bent slightly to hook his other arm beneath her knees. In one swift motion, he lifted her from the table, adjusting his arms to assure her head didn't fling back and jolt her awake. Cullen swept his head from side to side to make sure there were no on lookers, and seeing there were none, cradled her body close to his armor before making the trip back to the apprentices quarters.

He made it halfway down the stairs when he felt her shift against him. His face turned a crimson red as he stole a look down into his arms to see if she had awoken. He let loose the breath he had been holding when he saw that she wasn't awake. The sleeping Solona nestled her face deeper against the cold steel on his chest and gave a sleepy groan. Cullen swallowed hard as he began to feel a warm sensation stir in his abdomen.

Cullen tried to think about anything and everything other than the warm body in his arms. He thanked the Maker when he finally arrived at her room. Careful not to drop her, he bent slightly to open the wooden door before him, pushing it lightly with his boot until it opened wide enough for him to step inside. His hazel eyes scanned the dark room for her bed, hopefully there would only be one empty bunk. Cullen was thankful when he spotted it, and that it was a lower bunk at that. He let out a low sigh as he quietly inched them towards her bed.

When he reached the edge of her bunk, he was careful to not wake the mage on the top bunk, and as quiet as his armor would let him, laid her on the small mattress. His gloved hand reached down and pulled the thin blanket over her sleeping figure. As his hand came up to her chin, he rested it there for a moment, staring at her peaceful face. Then her face shifted slightly, as if she were in a dream. Her lips parted and Cullen leaned in a little closer to hear her whisper something.
"C-Cullen…." Her voice was barely above a breath, but there was no mistaking what he heard.
May he be damned to the void, but Maker, this woman knew how to make him blush.
Suddenly there was a small shifting in the bunk above.
"Solona?" a male voice rang out.
Cullen was so startled and embarrassed to be caught, he tried to jerk his head up to leave, but ended up colliding with the top bunk with a resounding thud! He cursed under his breath, bringing a hand up to cradle the newly sore spot on the back of his cranium. Cullen, carefully this time, ducked his head and backed away from the bunk and looked up, meeting the male mage's gaze. He froze.
"A Templar?..." Jowan questioned himself aloud.
Cullen racked his brain for an explanation, but the right words wouldn't form.
"I-uh….sh-she f-fell asleep and I….I uh…." Cullen stammered, wringing his hands in front of him. He didn't even finish the sentence when he whipped around on his heels and rushed out the door, leaving Jowan with a dumbfounded look on his face.

Jowan blinked the confusion away and bent down to look at his sleeping friend. His eyes scanned her and he was relieved when she seemed to be unharmed. He sat back up and shrugged before laying back down to go back to sleep.
That night, Solona had a very pleasant dream, involving a more than pleasant Templar. She smiled happily in her sleep.

The next morning Solona woke up rather refreshed. She stretched with a happy moan, catching attention from the bunk above her.
"You had a visitor last night." Jowan said matter-of-factly.
"Oh?" she asked innocently.
Jowan slung his legs over the side of his bunk before dropping to his feet in front of her.
"Indeed." He responded, a hint of play in his voice. "It was a Templar in fact. One might even say handsome if they were into that sort of thing."
Solona eyed him sarcastically through half-closed lids.
"I think he may have even left you with a kiss." He smirked impishly.
"You lie!" Solona tried to laugh the thought of it away, but the heat in her cheeks betrayed her.
"Oh, do I?" he countered.
Solona huffed as she hurled her pillow at Jowan's head.
They both shared a laugh as Jowan plopped down on the bunk beside her, clutching the soft missile.
Jowan sighed, "Of course he didn't really, but I could tell that he wanted to." He glanced at his friend through the corner of his eye.
Solona sat there staring straight ahead of her with a far off look in her eyes.
"You know," Jowan placed his hand on her shoulder, "there is a merchant passing through today. Perhaps you should pick up a little something to show him your thanks." He gave her a little wink.
"What in Thedas could I possibly give him?!" Solona asked hopelessly.
"Well…there is one thing, but I don't think any merchant has that for sale!" Jowan immediately erupted in a mock-evil laugh.
Solona's face whipped towards Jowan, her expression upturned in an angry scowl. Jowan could almost feel the heat radiating from her.
He put his hands up in mock defeat. "Or, you could go look at the merchant's wares." He laughed as he watched her face turn from anger to sheer annoyance in an instant.
Solona pursed her lips and glared at her friend. He shrugged questioningly towards her and her face finally softened.
"Fine." She sighed. "I do have some silvers saved up for a rainy day. This is as good a reason as any to use them." She placed her hands on her knees and pushed herself to a standing position and stretched.
"Let me get changed and meet you there?" she asked her friend.
Jowan nodded and took his leave.

Several moments later, Solona had adorned a new, clean robe, gathered her small coin purse and headed down the stairs to the first floor where the merchant would be set up.
It wasn't often that merchants came to the tower, but there was always the rare occasion when one passed through. It was usually a merchant who had come across some lyrium and was looking to sell it to a Templar, but of course that wasn't announced, so in order to hide their true motive, they opened sales to mages as well for the rest of their wares.

She had a happy bounce in her step as she bounded down the remainder of the steps. When she emerged in the foyer her eyes scanned around looking for Jowan. When she found him, he was already standing at the merchants stall, waving her over.
She walked over and took a place beside her friend and let her gaze roam around the shiny baubles before her. Out of her peripherals, she saw that Jowan had selected an elegant silver chain adorned with filigree and was handing the merchant a handful of coins.
"Who's that for?" she questioned. "Surely not for you."
"Not that it's any of your concern, but a young lady here in the tower." Jowan turned his nose upward at her.
"Ooh, is it for me?" she snickered.
"NO!" Jowan said slightly louder than he had intended.
Solona chuckled. "Relax, I'm only teasing."

Solona stood at the stall for a good half hour, studying each article carefully, trying to find the perfect gift for Cullen. She finally had her eye on a large bronze ring with an inlay of ivory in the shape of the symbol of Andraste. It wasn't overly fancy, but she hoped he would like it none the less. She was about to reach out for it when the merchant spoke out.
"Oi! Mage! Are ye goin' to buy somthin' or what?" he asked her gruffly.
Her hand stopped mid-air and she turned toward the man with a slight look of disgust on her face.
"Well." Solona stated. "I was but I don't appreciate being treated in such a manner." She placed her hands on her hips and took a step away from the table. "Perhaps I shall just wait until the next merchant comes and give my coin to them. Maybe they'll appreciate it a bit better." She took another step away.
The merchant looked at her in shock.
"W-wait. I di'nt mean any disrespect m'lady. P-please, take your time." He motioned towards the table.
Solona smiled slyly and stepped closer to the table once again.
"Hmm." She pressed a finger against her chin. "I was looking for a piece of scrap metal for a spell. How much is this trinket?" she motioned towards the ring she had been eyeing.
"My good lady, this is no mere scrap. It has-"
Solona put her hand up to stop the man's rambling. "How much?" she gave him a grave look.
"Fifteen silver."
She felt her stomach drop, that was a bit more than she could afford to pay at the moment, but she kept her face steely and attempted to barter with the man.
"I can give you seven." She told him with finality.
"But surely it's worth at least ten." The man pleaded.
Solona drew her mouth in a thin line before giving in.
"Fine." She sighed and began counting out the coins to give to the seller.
The merchant grinned as he gathered the coins from her. "Would you like a wrapping for it?"
"No." she grabbed the ring from his hand and marched away.
Now how was she going to give it to him? Her mind wandered as she headed back up the stairs.

As she made her way to the grand hall, she was happy to see that most residents of the tower were still sitting down for breakfast. She stood in the doorway looking for Jowan. When she had caught his attention, she motioned for him to come over. He crossed the hall at a quick pace.
"What is it, what's wrong?" he asked frantically.
"N-nothing." She answered, a little taken back by his worried state. "I just got this," she said producing the ring for Jowan to see, "and I don't know how to give it to him. I'm too scared to give it to him in person." She looked down at her hands sheepishly.
Jowan smiled knowingly and gave her a suggestion.
"What if you put it in his room while he's not there."
"But what if I get caught?" her eyes searched the grand hall to make sure that the Templar was indeed away from his room.
"Come on, I'll help you." Jowan reassured, taking her by the hand, leading her towards the stairs that lead up to the Templars quarters.
Solona had never been there before and would be lying if she didn't admit that she was a little afraid of venturing in there uninvited; but Jowan seemed determined in their quest as he pulled her along.

As they passed through the large double doors that lead to the long circling hallway full of rooms, they were stopped by two fully-helmed Templars.
"Halt." One said, putting a hand up. "What business do you have here?"
Solona's breath caught in her throat as she was sure they were doomed, but Jowan pushed past her and responded with confidence.
"We have an important delivery for the Templar, Cullen. It must be dropped at his room immediately." Jowan straightened his body, trying to not look so small next to the armored men.
The Templars looked at one another and just shrugged.
"This way." The other spoke up.
The one that spoke began to lead them down the corridor to a small room about half-way down. He motioned his hand toward the door and both mages peered inside.

Solona noted the small but quaint room. The smell of Cullen filled her nose as she stepped inside and stopped for a brief moment to take it in. She searched the room, looking for a good spot to place the ring so Cullen would see it when he came back to his room. Her eyes landed on the small side table by the bed and crossed the room to it. She turned the ring over in her fingers as she began second-guessing her actions. Jowan walked up behind her and clasped a hand on her shoulder.
"He'll love it." He told her reassuringly.
She gave her friend a soft smile. She caringly placed the ring on the center of the small table and stared at it. It almost stood out too much against the wood, or perhaps that was just her conscience speaking.
"Here." Jowan's voice brought her back to the present, and she noticed Jowan was attempting to hand her a small piece of parchment.
She took the piece of paper in her hand, as well as the quill he produced. Solona scribbled a small note on the parchment and placed it on the table, propped up on the ring.
She glanced at the ring one more time before she and Jowan exited the room and headed back to the grand hall; finally noticing her empty stomach.

Later that night after Cullen had finished his patrol he trudged back to his room, feet dragging the whole way. He kicked the door shut behind him and crossed the room toward his bed. He stopped dead in his tracks as he noticed a small shimmer on the side table where he was about to place his gauntlets. He set them off to the side and took the ring and note, one in each hand. He turned the parchment over and back again before reading the short message written in an unfamiliar hand.
"Thank you. xx"
Regardless of never having seen her handwriting before, he knew of only one person that would be thanking him.
"Solona." He whispered, adoration thick on his lips.
He dropped down on his bed, neglecting to take off the rest of his armor. He held the ring and note above his face and took in each with long regard. He thumbed the ring, gliding a calloused pad across the inlay and smiled in spite of himself before slipping it onto his left index finger. Cullen brought that hand down and rested it on his forehead as he continued to stare at the note. He let his mind wander to the thought of her here in his room, writing the small, usually insignificant, letters on the parchment that filled his chest with joy.
He drifted off in that state, his hand still gripping her note tight to his chest.

Cullen would wear the ring from that day forward. When asked about the origins of the ring, he would just smile and say "it was a gift" though he would never say who it was from. It was now one of his most cherished possessions, something he would never part with.