Solona's suggestion that she would see him in the morning turned out to be false, as he ran into her in the Chantry garden a few hours after Dorian escorted her out of his office. She stood off to the side, crouching and staring at the few pots of herbs the Inquisitor had planted and promptly forgotten about.

Now that things between them were cleared up, Cullen decided he needed to swallow his nervousness around Solona. The Commander of the Inquisition should be able to approach an honored guest, after all. He was giving himself a pep talk that he needed to walk up to her and tease her about whether she was hiding from the Inquisitor when she caught sight of him and wandered over, looking pleased to see him.

"I like this garden," she said, "It's very peaceful."

"Unlike the rest of your day, I'm sure," he replied, and she rolled her eyes at him with a fond smile.

"Honestly, it wasn't that bad. Once everyone meets me, there's the initial disappointment at how short I am, how plain I look, et cetera, and then they get bored that I don't quite live up to the legends, and then I'm free until the next round of introductions. Although…" She trailed off, wrinkling her nose. "I'll have to look out for Varric. He asks far too many questions about things that are far too personal."

Cullen chuckled. "He did write the story of the Champion of Kirkwall. Perhaps he has his sights on the Hero of Ferelden for his next work."

"Ugh," Solona replied, good-naturedly. "I suppose he'll have to wait for a God-King of Thedas or something equally absurd for his next treatise. Then, perhaps, he can interview the Maker himself for his finale."

"He's far more likely to attain an audience with Andraste, don't you think?" Cullen asked, and Solona laughed, smiling at him affectionately.

After a brief pause, Solona added, "I don't mind telling him about some of my life. It's just the bits about –" Her voice lost its teasing tone. "Morrigan."

"Morrigan?" Cullen asked, both eyebrows raised in confusion.

"Morrigan," repeated Solona, and she stiffened. Cullen followed her gaze to see Solona staring at the apostate and her son with an odd expression.

"Leliana mentioned that you knew her," Cullen said carefully, unsure what Solona's expression meant.

"Is she…" Solona trailed off. "Why…"

When he realized a full sentence wasn't forthcoming, he offered, "She volunteered her aid against Corypheus. The Inquisitor welcomed her with open arms." After a moment, when Solona made no reaction, he hesitantly asked, "Did you find her as trustworthy?"

But by that point Morrigan caught Solona's eye. The two mages stared one another down before Morrigan said something to her son and walked over.

"Warden," she greeted. "I will never cease to be puzzled by your affinity to Templars. Though I suppose he is an improvement from your last mutt."

"Hi," Solona said weakly. Trying to smile, she added, "I thought you said I'd never see you again."

"Indeed, you would not have," Morrigan said, carefully looking at her. "Had you not deviated from your path, ours would never have crossed."

Solona's smile grew more genuine. "I still don't know if you really know those kinds of things or if you make them up."

Morrigan's attention turned to him, and her countenance changed to one of annoyance. "Do you not have an elsewhere to be, Commander?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "I wish to speak to the Warden alone."

Seemingly without thought, Solona's hand grasped his sleeve, preventing him from leaving. She had a look of quiet desperation that stunned him into silence.

"Morrigan," she said quietly, her gaze on Morrigan's son. "Is that…"

"Kieran," replied Morrigan, softening. "His name is Kieran. Would you like to meet him?"

Solona's grip on his sleeve tightened as her face turned pale. The understanding on Morrigan's face surprised Cullen, and he watched with a sense of surrealism as Morrigan called her son over.

"Kieran," said the witch, "This is the Hero of Ferelden."

Kieran silently looked at the woman clinging to Cullen's side, face a mixture of curiosity and awe.

"Mother said you were pretty," he said, "And powerful."

"Your mother is too kind," Solona said, smiling at him even as her grasp on Cullen's sleeve tightened. He couldn't help but be painfully curious. Kieran almost smiled.

"I haven't heard anyone else say that," he said, and Morrigan made a small sound of disapproval.

"You are excused, Kieran. You and the Warden will have other opportunities to banter, I am sure."

The boy ran off, and Solona's eyes followed him.

"He's…"

"A perfectly normal boy," Morrigan said.

Solona let out a shuddering breath Cullen hadn't realized she was holding. "I thought… my cowardice… I didn't think anything good could come from it."

"Kieran is the greatest gift you could have given," Morrigan said earnestly. "'Twas the kindest act I have ever received."

Finally Solona released her vice-like grip on his sleeve to throw her arms around Morrigan. The witch hesitated only a moment before resting her hands on the Warden's back. There was a softly whispered exchange between the two women and finally Solona pulled away, smiling and wiping away tears. Morrigan nodded to her and took her leave, rejoining her son.

Cullen looked down at the crying mage, unsure how he felt. Solona seemed all right, but meeting Morrigan's son was an odd thing to make her cry. If he were being honest with himself, he may have been a little put out that she was crying about Morrigan.

"Are you…" Cullen trailed off. He knew he was missing something important about the context, knew he shouldn't even have witnessed it, but Solona's grateful smile settled him a little.

"I'm fine. I…" she laughed, looking as though she were lighter somehow. "Honestly, even if I wanted to explain it to you, you'd never believe it." Her smile turned teasing as she took hold of his sleeve again, this time in an easy, familiar way. "Do you still remember how to play chess, Commander? Or are such things beneath you now?"